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[ { "context": "A top Turkish official, presidential adviser Yasin Aktay, has said he believes Jamal Khashoggi's body was dissolved in acid after being cut up. The \"only logical conclusion\", he said, was that those who had killed the Saudi journalist in Istanbul had destroyed his body \"to leave no trace behind\". Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi rulers, was killed inside the country's consulate on 2 October. No forensic evidence has been provided to prove his body was dissolved. \"The reason they dismembered Khashoggi's body was to dissolve his remains more easily\", Mr Aktay told the Hurriyet Daily newspaper. \"Now we see that they did not only dismember his body but also vaporised it.\" The claims came as Khashoggi's fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, called on world leaders to \"bring the perpetrators to justice\", in an editorial for five newspapers, including the Guardian and the Washington Post. Meanwhile, reports quote Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as telling the US he considered Khashoggi to be a dangerous Islamist. The reported phone call to the White House came before Saudi Arabia admitted Khashoggi had been killed. Saudi Arabia has denied the comments were made or that its royal family was involved in the killing, and says it is \"determined to find out all the facts\". Istanbul's prosecutor confirmed on Wednesday that the writer had been strangled. During the call with President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and national security adviser John Bolton, Prince Mohammed said Khashoggi had been a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, a transnational Islamist organisation, the Washington Post reports. The phone call is reported to have taken place on 9 October, a week after Khashoggi disappeared. Prince Mohammed also reportedly urged the White House to preserve the US-Saudi alliance. In a statement to the newspaper, Khashoggi's family denied he had been a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and said the murdered writer had himself denied this repeatedly in recent years. \"Jamal Khashoggi was not a dangerous person in any way possible. To claim otherwise would be ridiculous,\" the statement said. There is still no consensus on how Khashoggi died. He entered the consulate to sort out documents for his marriage. But on Wednesday Turkey said he had been strangled immediately after entering the consulate and his body dismembered \"in accordance with plans made in advance\". Turkish media had previously quoted sources as saying Turkey had audio recordings proving that Khashoggi had been tortured before being murdered. Saudi Arabia has changed its account of what happened to Khashoggi. When he first disappeared, it said Khashoggi had walked out of the building alive. It later admitted he had been murdered, saying the killing was premeditated and a result of a \"rogue operation\". It has arrested 18 suspects who, it says, will be prosecuted in Saudi Arabia. Turkey wants the suspects to be extradited. Turkey has steered away from publicly blaming Saudi Arabia for the killing. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to Saudi King Salman last week, and the two agreed to continue co-operating in the investigation. Saudi Arabia has faced a backlash over the death, including from its allies, who have called for answers. President Trump has said he is \"not satisfied\" with the Saudi account. However, he also said he was unwilling to sacrifice lucrative arms deals with the country. Although their US visas have been revoked, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said it would be a \"handful more weeks\" before the US knew enough to impose sanctions on individuals involved in Khashoggi's killing. Mr Pompeo said the US had \"deep and long-term strategic relationships\" with Saudi Arabia and said \"we intend to make sure that those relationships remain intact\". On Wednesday, France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Khashoggi's death was a \"crime\" and \"odious\". He said France was not \"dependent on our economic relations with Saudi Arabia\" and the country would impose sanctions, but no details were given. UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt also said it was an appalling act, adding that it had \"possibly\" given the US and the UK a chance to put new pressure on Saudi Arabia over other issues. Earlier, the US called for a swift cessation of hostilities in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been fighting rebels supported by its arch-enemy Iran. In an editorial published in five international newspapers, Ms Cengiz said Khashoggi had just bought a house and wished to start a family. She described the \"anguish\" she had experienced since his \"brutal, barbaric and ruthless\" death. \"We must all send a clear message that authoritarian regimes cannot kill journalists ever again.\" She called on governments around the world to take action to reveal the truth, accusing the United States of taking a position \"devoid of moral foundation.\" \"If the democracies of the world do not take genuine steps to bring to justice the perpetrators of this brazen, callous act - one that has caused universal outrage among their citizens - what moral authority are they left with?\" she asked.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2108, "answer_start": 1352, "text": "During the call with President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and national security adviser John Bolton, Prince Mohammed said Khashoggi had been a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, a transnational Islamist organisation, the Washington Post reports. The phone call is reported to have taken place on 9 October, a week after Khashoggi disappeared. Prince Mohammed also reportedly urged the White House to preserve the US-Saudi alliance. In a statement to the newspaper, Khashoggi's family denied he had been a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and said the murdered writer had himself denied this repeatedly in recent years. \"Jamal Khashoggi was not a dangerous person in any way possible. To claim otherwise would be ridiculous,\" the statement said." } ], "id": "0_0", "question": "What was said in the crown prince's alleged phone call?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3128, "answer_start": 2109, "text": "There is still no consensus on how Khashoggi died. He entered the consulate to sort out documents for his marriage. But on Wednesday Turkey said he had been strangled immediately after entering the consulate and his body dismembered \"in accordance with plans made in advance\". Turkish media had previously quoted sources as saying Turkey had audio recordings proving that Khashoggi had been tortured before being murdered. Saudi Arabia has changed its account of what happened to Khashoggi. When he first disappeared, it said Khashoggi had walked out of the building alive. It later admitted he had been murdered, saying the killing was premeditated and a result of a \"rogue operation\". It has arrested 18 suspects who, it says, will be prosecuted in Saudi Arabia. Turkey wants the suspects to be extradited. Turkey has steered away from publicly blaming Saudi Arabia for the killing. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to Saudi King Salman last week, and the two agreed to continue co-operating in the investigation." } ], "id": "0_1", "question": "What has the investigation found so far?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4366, "answer_start": 3129, "text": "Saudi Arabia has faced a backlash over the death, including from its allies, who have called for answers. President Trump has said he is \"not satisfied\" with the Saudi account. However, he also said he was unwilling to sacrifice lucrative arms deals with the country. Although their US visas have been revoked, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said it would be a \"handful more weeks\" before the US knew enough to impose sanctions on individuals involved in Khashoggi's killing. Mr Pompeo said the US had \"deep and long-term strategic relationships\" with Saudi Arabia and said \"we intend to make sure that those relationships remain intact\". On Wednesday, France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Khashoggi's death was a \"crime\" and \"odious\". He said France was not \"dependent on our economic relations with Saudi Arabia\" and the country would impose sanctions, but no details were given. UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt also said it was an appalling act, adding that it had \"possibly\" given the US and the UK a chance to put new pressure on Saudi Arabia over other issues. Earlier, the US called for a swift cessation of hostilities in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been fighting rebels supported by its arch-enemy Iran." } ], "id": "0_2", "question": "What do other countries say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5097, "answer_start": 4367, "text": "In an editorial published in five international newspapers, Ms Cengiz said Khashoggi had just bought a house and wished to start a family. She described the \"anguish\" she had experienced since his \"brutal, barbaric and ruthless\" death. \"We must all send a clear message that authoritarian regimes cannot kill journalists ever again.\" She called on governments around the world to take action to reveal the truth, accusing the United States of taking a position \"devoid of moral foundation.\" \"If the democracies of the world do not take genuine steps to bring to justice the perpetrators of this brazen, callous act - one that has caused universal outrage among their citizens - what moral authority are they left with?\" she asked." } ], "id": "0_3", "question": "What has his fiancee said?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Former Labour MP Luciana Berger has joined the Liberal Democrats, saying the party is \"unequivocal in wanting to stop Brexit\". She said leader Jo Swinson had offered \"a vital, positive alternative\" to Labour and the Conservatives. Ms Berger left Labour in protest at the handling of anti-Semitism allegations. Along with six other MPs she formed Change UK, but left after disappointing results in the European elections earlier this year. Ms Swinson said she was \"delighted\" to welcome Ms Berger to the Liberal Democrats. \"We're thrilled to add her perspective, expertise and skills to our ever-growing parliamentary team,\" she said. Speaking to the BBC, Ms Berger, MP for Liverpool Wavertree, said: \"We need to do everything possible to make sure the country, when the election comes, has a proper choice rather than choosing between the two terrible options of Johnson vs Corbyn.\" \"The two-party system is over,\" she added. Nina Houghton, Labour's constituency chairman in Wavertree, said Ms Berger was \"ignoring the 80% of Wavertree voters who voted Labour\". She accused the MP of lacking the \"courage\" to resign and hold a by-election. Ms Berger is the fourth MP in three months to join the Liberal Democrats - who now have 16 MPs in Parliament. On Tuesday, Conservative Phillip Lee defected to the party, accusing the government of \"pursuing a damaging Brexit in unprincipled ways\", putting lives and livelihoods at risk. Ex-Change UK MPs Chuka Umunna and Sarah Wollaston have also joined the party. Ms Berger has been the MP for Liverpool Wavertree since 2010, where she has a majority of 29,466. As an MP she held a number of posts, including shadow minister for energy and climate, shadow minister for public health and shadow minister for mental health. Before becoming an MP she worked for management consultancy company Accenture and the NHS Confederation, a body representing healthcare organisations. Before leaving the Labour Party, she faced the threat of a no-confidence vote from local Labour members for criticising Jeremy Corbyn, but it was withdrawn after individuals in the constituency party were accused of \"bullying\" her. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said any attempts to deselect her had been a result of her association with a breakaway party. She attended a protest against anti-Semitism in the Labour Party in Westminster's Parliament Square in March 2018, and has campaigned vigorously on the issue. This is not massively surprising. We have seen a steady trickle of those unaligned, lost MPs moving to the Lib Dems. The Remainers are beginning to shuffle towards the Lib Dems as the most clear, overt force for Remain. There is no doubt that Brexit is now really beginning to play for the party. For everyone who wants to stop Brexit, they are a natural home. And new leader Jo Swinson has injected a bit of energy and colour which frankly Vince Cable was unable to do. They've got a bit of mojo and we've seen that in the polls too.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2432, "answer_start": 1505, "text": "Ms Berger has been the MP for Liverpool Wavertree since 2010, where she has a majority of 29,466. As an MP she held a number of posts, including shadow minister for energy and climate, shadow minister for public health and shadow minister for mental health. Before becoming an MP she worked for management consultancy company Accenture and the NHS Confederation, a body representing healthcare organisations. Before leaving the Labour Party, she faced the threat of a no-confidence vote from local Labour members for criticising Jeremy Corbyn, but it was withdrawn after individuals in the constituency party were accused of \"bullying\" her. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said any attempts to deselect her had been a result of her association with a breakaway party. She attended a protest against anti-Semitism in the Labour Party in Westminster's Parliament Square in March 2018, and has campaigned vigorously on the issue." } ], "id": "1_0", "question": "Who is Luciana Berger?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "President Donald Trump has said he is reversing a budget request to eliminate funding for the Special Olympics. His remarks came a day after education secretary Betsy DeVos was criticised for defending a proposed $17.6m (PS13.5m) cut to the organisation, which is designed for disabled children. The request was included in Mr Trump's $4.75tn federal budget, which was not expected to pass Congress. Mrs DeVos responded she had pushed for funding \"behind the scenes\". \"I heard about it this morning. I have overridden my people. We're funding the Special Olympics,\" Mr Trump said of the world's largest sport organisation for people with intellectual disabilities. Mrs DeVos rushed to clarify the contradiction on Thursday, tweeting: \"I am pleased and grateful the President and I see eye-to-eye on this issue and that he has decided to fund our Special Olympics grant.\" She had earlier told Congress the US Department of Education had to make \"tough choices\" following a 10% cut to her agency's budget, adding that the nonprofit group should be funded through private donations. The cuts came as part of the administration's proposed budget for the 2020 fiscal year, which totals $4.75tn, the largest in federal history. The budget request slashed $17.6m in funding for the Special Olympics, about 10% of the nonprofit organisation's overall revenue. Majority of the group's support comes from individual and corporate donations as well as fundraising campaigns. The spending plan also included more than $1tn in cuts to the Medicaid health programme for the poor and disabled, while allotting $8.6bn for the US-Mexico border wall. But the budget proposal is not expected to pass Congress, which must approve it. Who would the cuts affect? Andrea Cahn, the Senior Director of Unified Champion Schools for Special Olympics who runs the Unified Champion programmes in the United States says the budget cuts would have affected programmes in 6,500 schools. \"The funding we receive from the US Department of Education is specifically for our Unified Champion schools programming,\" says Ms Cahn though the budget cuts would not impact any state games, world games, or any ongoing competitions that are scheduled. Raymond S Kellis High School in Arizona is one of the schools that has adopted this type of programme. It has enabled children with intellectual disabilities to be more outgoing says Michael Wakeford, a special education teacher and Unified Sports coach at the school. \"It helps our society bring faith back to humanity in a divisive world in a place where it's easy to fear what we don't know and to fear what we don't understand,\" Mr Wakeford adds. The Special Olympics, founded in 1968 in Washington DC, provides year-round training, health education, community building and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. It currently serves over five million athletes across 190 countries. The sports organisation is separate from the Paralympics, which are mostly for elite athletes who have physical disabilities. Both groups are recognised by the International Olympics Committee. The US Special Olympics chapter provides trainings and competitions in 18 sports, including soccer, swimming, equestrian and basketball. The Special Olympics World Games, which took place in Abu Dhabi earlier this month, are held every two years. Reporting by Sarah Shaath", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2660, "answer_start": 1080, "text": "The cuts came as part of the administration's proposed budget for the 2020 fiscal year, which totals $4.75tn, the largest in federal history. The budget request slashed $17.6m in funding for the Special Olympics, about 10% of the nonprofit organisation's overall revenue. Majority of the group's support comes from individual and corporate donations as well as fundraising campaigns. The spending plan also included more than $1tn in cuts to the Medicaid health programme for the poor and disabled, while allotting $8.6bn for the US-Mexico border wall. But the budget proposal is not expected to pass Congress, which must approve it. Who would the cuts affect? Andrea Cahn, the Senior Director of Unified Champion Schools for Special Olympics who runs the Unified Champion programmes in the United States says the budget cuts would have affected programmes in 6,500 schools. \"The funding we receive from the US Department of Education is specifically for our Unified Champion schools programming,\" says Ms Cahn though the budget cuts would not impact any state games, world games, or any ongoing competitions that are scheduled. Raymond S Kellis High School in Arizona is one of the schools that has adopted this type of programme. It has enabled children with intellectual disabilities to be more outgoing says Michael Wakeford, a special education teacher and Unified Sports coach at the school. \"It helps our society bring faith back to humanity in a divisive world in a place where it's easy to fear what we don't know and to fear what we don't understand,\" Mr Wakeford adds." } ], "id": "2_0", "question": "What was proposed?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A small but increasing group of African governments is blocking social media during elections. Clare Spencer asks why and how this is done and how people get around it. Why are African governments blocking social media? It is safe to say governments aren't blocking social media to cut off the supply of cute kitten pictures. It's political. African tweeters tend to be more political than tweeters in other continents, according to research by Portland Communications. And governments are blocking social media during elections - most recently in Congo-Brazzaville, Chad and Uganda. For an indication of the political impact social media can make, you just need to look at the uprisings during the \"Arab Spring\". \"Social media did not cause the 'Arab Spring' but helped to co-ordinate it,\" Arthur Goldstuck from technology market research company Worldwide Worx, told the BBC. Governments do not say they are worried that social media could pave the way for popular protests or even a revolution. But security is often cited - including in the order for mobile operators to stop services in Congo-Brazzaville. Congolese officials added that they were trying to prevent the \"illegal publication of results\". Newsweek interpreted this as a possible attempt to thwart the efforts of election monitors. The advent of the mobile phone enabled local observer groups to collate the results from individual polling stations around the country and add them up to see if the results were being rigged. If mobile phones don't work, this can no longer be done. However, results spread by opposition parties are also not necessarily accurate and Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni insisted that social media was blocked during the election to \"stop spreading lies\". How do governments block social media? Governments don't have the physical or technical ability to block sites, phones or texts themselves, explains Thecla Mbongue, analyst for trend forecasters Ovum. They issue an order to the companies who do have that power. Congo-Brazzaville's government issued an order to the country's mobile phone operators such as Airtel and MTN. This effectively blocks the internet because very few Congolese use fixed lines to access the web. Ms Mbongue says that the order in Congo-Brazzaville appeared to allow specified numbers to carry on using their mobile phones. This came out when the communications minister denied the communications block - by tweeting. The interesting thing about the tweet for her is that someone replied with what appears to be a copy of the order sent to mobile operators. It shows they were asked not to block specified numbers. Presumably, she says, that is why Mr Moungalla could tweet and others couldn't. Airtel and MTN have not yet confirmed whether the orders that spread through social networks were authentic. In the case of Uganda, the telecoms regulator ordered mobile phone operators just to block certain sites. So people couldn't use Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and mobile money services. Danson Njue, also from Ovum, says it is believed that the regulator was advised by top security and government officials to block the sites over security concerns. Technically, this is a relatively easy task. Websites are stored on servers which have IP addresses - a bit like a phone number. The government can force internet service providers and telecoms companies to block access to a specific IP address. Smartphone apps, like WhatsApp, will try to connect to its own server and it won't be able to if your internet service provider is blocking connections. So it is fairly easy to pinpoint a specific site or app and block access. This makes social networks fairly powerless. Twitter did not even condemn the ban when the company noted it was blocked in Uganda. But telecoms companies appear to be powerless too. Ms Mbongue says she cannot think of a single example in sub-Saharan Africa where the telecoms provider has refused to comply with an order. She speculates that phone companies could go to court to demand compensation for lost earnings. But she is unaware of this ever having happened. This is in contrast to the Twitter ban in Turkey which was lifted after two weeks when the constitutional court ruled the ban was a breach of the right to freedom of expression. Mr Goldstruck adds that because mobile operators work under strict licensing conditions, they have to comply with such government directives. It is different where there are numerous service providers and numerous routes out of the country, as in Egypt. Twitter was blocked in Egypt in January 2011, when hundreds of thousands of protestors started to gather in Tahrir Square in the capital Egypt. They had used the hashtag #Jan25 to co-ordinate. But it wasn't long before Twitter was working again. Even in this case, internet access was still reduced dramatically, he says. Many people have found ways to get around government blocks by using internet proxies known as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). In Uganda an opposition leader even tweeted on the day of the election a recommendation to download a VPN app called Tunnel Bear. The top 12 apps people were downloading in Uganda four days after the election were still VPN apps, according to analysts App Annie. But Congo-Brazzaville and Chad cut off the whole internet and telephone which meant people couldn't use this technique. VPNs get round government censorship by redirecting your internet activity to a computer in a different country, where the blocks have not been imposed. This is also used by people to access content that might be restricted to a certain country - letting a European user watch American Netflix, for example. What next? Zimbabwe has suggested it could go one step further and create its own social networks that the state can monitor. The country's state owned newspaper the Sunday Mail reports that local web developers are \"stitching together\" products similar to Facebook, Twitter and Skype \"to enable great supervision\". The newspaper nods to China, where this has already happened. Are Rwanda's buses first stop towards a cashless future? What difference will Obama's plan to bring power to Africa make? Africa's top Twitter moments of the past decade My life as an internet conman in Ghana", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6072, "answer_start": 4876, "text": "Many people have found ways to get around government blocks by using internet proxies known as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). In Uganda an opposition leader even tweeted on the day of the election a recommendation to download a VPN app called Tunnel Bear. The top 12 apps people were downloading in Uganda four days after the election were still VPN apps, according to analysts App Annie. But Congo-Brazzaville and Chad cut off the whole internet and telephone which meant people couldn't use this technique. VPNs get round government censorship by redirecting your internet activity to a computer in a different country, where the blocks have not been imposed. This is also used by people to access content that might be restricted to a certain country - letting a European user watch American Netflix, for example. What next? Zimbabwe has suggested it could go one step further and create its own social networks that the state can monitor. The country's state owned newspaper the Sunday Mail reports that local web developers are \"stitching together\" products similar to Facebook, Twitter and Skype \"to enable great supervision\". The newspaper nods to China, where this has already happened." } ], "id": "3_0", "question": "How do people get around the block?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "When Professor Akira Yoshino was developing a new battery technology in his laboratory in the early 1980s, he didn't think it would amount to much. \"At the time, we thought it mainly would be used in 8mm video cameras,\" he laughs. He was well off the mark. These days you are never more than a few feet away from a lithium-ion battery, as they power mobile phones and all sorts of other electronics, from toothbrushes to electric scooters. In recognition of that success, Prof Yoshino was awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. But despite improvements, even the most advanced lithium-ion batteries can only store a fraction of the energy of a similar weight of petrol or jet fuel. And that is curbing ambitions for even smaller and lighter devices - and more ambitious projects like electric powered aviation. Batteries need to make progress, admits Prof Yoshino, but thankfully, \"there's a lot of interesting approaches\". And \"the solid state battery, I think, is a promising one,\" he says. Solid state batteries can store 50% more energy than lithium-ion, says Douglas Campbell, chief executive of Solid Power, a Colorado university spin-off. They are more stable as well. In lithium-ion batteries the gel inside, the electrolyte, can combust. In 2016, Samsung recalled 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 handsets after fires involving their lithium-ion batteries. Solid state batteries replace that gel with less flammable solid polymers or ceramics. But the batteries being developed by Mr Campbell's firm still require lithium in its metallic form and that's a problem because it is a hard metal to work with. Another problem is that lithium metal isn't yet refined on an industrial scale, so just getting enough could be difficult, according to Mr Campbell. But despite those worries, solid state batteries have \"had the breakthrough in basic research, and research and development for mass production techniques is progressing,\" says Prof Yoshino. He thinks it could take another 10 years for solid state batteries to compete with lithium-ion in terms of price. The big prize in the market is batteries for electric cars. The number of electric vehicles in the world will balloon to 125 million by 2030, the International Energy Agency forecasts. Battery innovation is \"pretty much driven by whatever's happening in the electric vehicle market\", says Rory McCarthy, an analyst at energy research firm Wood Mackenzie. More Technology of Business Mr McCarthy says the challenge for solid state and other new technologies is to compete with lithium-ion plants, which are getting bigger and bigger, making their batteries cheaper. It takes a new battery factory four to five years to get close to full capacity and 10 years to make its money back, he adds. Lithium-ion technology itself is not a dead end. \"We're learning some new principles we haven't thought of before,\" says Prof Yoshino. That includes the movement of lithium-ions inside batteries. \"We thought we understood that,\" he adds. But now scientists are having to revisit their understanding, since it \"is not what we expected\". \"Yes, it goes on and on it never ends\", he laughs. Gene Berdichevsky says that it's only lithium-ion batteries that can make a \"meaningful\" impact on batteries in the near future and spur the mass adoption of electric vehicles. His California-based company, Sila Nanotechnologies, is developing lithium-ion batteries that can potentially deliver a 40% improvement in energy density. They are doing that by by replacing the graphite anodes (the part of the battery where the current flows in) with silicon. \"We need continued investment and innovation in lithium-ion batteries,\" he says. Better battery density could make big differences in the way we live. Aeroplanes release 500 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere each year. But with better batteries, aircraft can use cleaner power and that revolution is already underway. This year's Paris air show saw a working all-electric prototype commercial aircraft, made by the Israeli start-up, Eviation. US regional airline Cape Air has placed a double-digit order. Meanwhile Canada's Harbour Air said in March it aims to become the world's first all-electric airline. With 30% of flights under 300 miles, short haul flight should be easy to electrify, says Los Angeles start-up Wright Electric. And much denser batteries could also electrify big lorries that today rely on fossil fuels. Meanwhile, for some better batteries could change their lives. \"I have an off-road chair with six wheels,\" says Curt Oswalt, a former US air force translator who uses a battery-powered wheelchair after a 2002 injury. \"My batteries first started acting up roughly two years ago,\" he says. One night, unable to sleep, he went for a 01:00 stroll around his neighbourhood in the Texan countryside. \"My battery indicator went from reading three-quarters full to dead, in under three seconds,\" he says. Stranded, he had to wait under a street light until 04:30, when a sheriff found him and helped him home. A more recent battery failure has meant he's been unable to leave his house unassisted for nine days. \"So yes,\" he says, \"looking forward to better batteries!\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5195, "answer_start": 3680, "text": "Better battery density could make big differences in the way we live. Aeroplanes release 500 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere each year. But with better batteries, aircraft can use cleaner power and that revolution is already underway. This year's Paris air show saw a working all-electric prototype commercial aircraft, made by the Israeli start-up, Eviation. US regional airline Cape Air has placed a double-digit order. Meanwhile Canada's Harbour Air said in March it aims to become the world's first all-electric airline. With 30% of flights under 300 miles, short haul flight should be easy to electrify, says Los Angeles start-up Wright Electric. And much denser batteries could also electrify big lorries that today rely on fossil fuels. Meanwhile, for some better batteries could change their lives. \"I have an off-road chair with six wheels,\" says Curt Oswalt, a former US air force translator who uses a battery-powered wheelchair after a 2002 injury. \"My batteries first started acting up roughly two years ago,\" he says. One night, unable to sleep, he went for a 01:00 stroll around his neighbourhood in the Texan countryside. \"My battery indicator went from reading three-quarters full to dead, in under three seconds,\" he says. Stranded, he had to wait under a street light until 04:30, when a sheriff found him and helped him home. A more recent battery failure has meant he's been unable to leave his house unassisted for nine days. \"So yes,\" he says, \"looking forward to better batteries!\"" } ], "id": "4_0", "question": "Electric flight?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A quarantine imposed in Mongolia after two people died from the bubonic plague has been lifted, allowing a number of tourists to leave the area. The Mongolian couple contracted the illness after eating the raw meat of a marmot, a type of rodent. Following their deaths, a six-day quarantine was declared on 1 May in Mongolia's western Bayan Olgii province bordering both China and Russia. In previous centuries plague outbreaks killed millions in Europe and Asia. Human cases are now rare but can still be deadly unless treated with antibiotics. The couple had eaten raw marmot meat and kidney, thought to be a folk remedy for good health, Ariuntuya Ochirpurev of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Ulaanbaatar told the BBC. Suspicion the two victims had developed the highly contagious pneumonic plague led to the decision to impose the quarantine, Ms Ochirpurev added. The rodent is a known carrier of the plague bacteria and it is commonly associated with plague cases in the country. Hunting the rodent is illegal. According to Ms Ochirpurev, 118 people had come into contact with the couple and were isolated and treated with antibiotics for prophylaxis. Among those were seven foreign tourists from Switzerland, Sweden, Kazakhstan and South Korea. Media reports, however, put the number of tourists much higher, saying travellers from Russia, Germany and the US were barred from leaving the area due to the quarantine. \"After the quarantine [was announced] not many people, even locals, were in the streets for fear of catching the disease,\" Sebastian Pique, a US Peace Corps volunteer living in the region, told the AFP news agency. While rare, the plague still continues to be a threat to humans. The disease - typically transmitted from animals to humans by fleas - has a 30%-60% fatality rate if left untreated. In Mongolia, one case was reported in 2017 but it was not fatal. In 2016, no cases were reported. From 1989 to 1997, there were 69 cases in the country and 22 deaths, according to the WHO's Ms Ochirpurev. The US also still has annual cases of the disease and 12 recorded fatalities since 2000. In 2015, parts of the Yosemite National Park had to be closed due to an outbreak of the plague. Symptoms of the plague include high fever, chills, nausea, weakness and swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpit or groin. It can be hard to identify in its early stages because symptoms, which usually develop after three to seven days, are flu-like. There are three main types of plague depending on how the infection manifests. The bubonic plague is characterised by swollen lymph nodes. Pneumonic plague affects the respiratory system. It becomes septicaemic if it is found in the bloodstream. The Black Death, as it was known at the time, caused about 50 million deaths across Africa, Asia and Europe in the 14th Century. Its last terrifying outbreak in London was the Great Plague of 1665, which killed about a fifth of the city's inhabitants. In the 19th Century there was a plague outbreak in China and India, which killed more than 12 million.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1643, "answer_start": 546, "text": "The couple had eaten raw marmot meat and kidney, thought to be a folk remedy for good health, Ariuntuya Ochirpurev of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Ulaanbaatar told the BBC. Suspicion the two victims had developed the highly contagious pneumonic plague led to the decision to impose the quarantine, Ms Ochirpurev added. The rodent is a known carrier of the plague bacteria and it is commonly associated with plague cases in the country. Hunting the rodent is illegal. According to Ms Ochirpurev, 118 people had come into contact with the couple and were isolated and treated with antibiotics for prophylaxis. Among those were seven foreign tourists from Switzerland, Sweden, Kazakhstan and South Korea. Media reports, however, put the number of tourists much higher, saying travellers from Russia, Germany and the US were barred from leaving the area due to the quarantine. \"After the quarantine [was announced] not many people, even locals, were in the streets for fear of catching the disease,\" Sebastian Pique, a US Peace Corps volunteer living in the region, told the AFP news agency." } ], "id": "5_0", "question": "What happened?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3066, "answer_start": 1644, "text": "While rare, the plague still continues to be a threat to humans. The disease - typically transmitted from animals to humans by fleas - has a 30%-60% fatality rate if left untreated. In Mongolia, one case was reported in 2017 but it was not fatal. In 2016, no cases were reported. From 1989 to 1997, there were 69 cases in the country and 22 deaths, according to the WHO's Ms Ochirpurev. The US also still has annual cases of the disease and 12 recorded fatalities since 2000. In 2015, parts of the Yosemite National Park had to be closed due to an outbreak of the plague. Symptoms of the plague include high fever, chills, nausea, weakness and swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpit or groin. It can be hard to identify in its early stages because symptoms, which usually develop after three to seven days, are flu-like. There are three main types of plague depending on how the infection manifests. The bubonic plague is characterised by swollen lymph nodes. Pneumonic plague affects the respiratory system. It becomes septicaemic if it is found in the bloodstream. The Black Death, as it was known at the time, caused about 50 million deaths across Africa, Asia and Europe in the 14th Century. Its last terrifying outbreak in London was the Great Plague of 1665, which killed about a fifth of the city's inhabitants. In the 19th Century there was a plague outbreak in China and India, which killed more than 12 million." } ], "id": "5_1", "question": "How dangerous is the plague now?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "China has announced a $46bn investment plan which will largely centre on an economic corridor from Gwadar in Pakistan to Kashgar in the Chinese region of Xinjiang. The BBC's M Ilyas Khan looks at the significance of the plans. The money China is planning to pour into Pakistan is more than twice the amount of all foreign direct investment (FDI) Pakistan has received since 2008, and considerably more than the entire assistance from the United States, Pakistan's largest donor until now, since 2002. Pakistani officials say most projects will reach completion in between one and three years, although some infrastructure projects could take from 10 to 15 years. So the investment is not going to be spread too thin over a longer period of time, as happened with the US assistance. Also, this investment will be heavily concentrated in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a combination of transport and energy projects and the development of a major deep-sea port offering direct access to the Indian Ocean and beyond. Experts say this will create jobs and spark economic activity in Pakistan which over the last three decades has become a cranky, rent-seeking military power torn by armed insurgencies and a failing system of service delivery. But as defence analyst Professor Hasan Askari Rizvi warns, the real game changer is not the signing of deals, but their timely execution. Officials admit that some deals already signed by China and Pakistan in 2010 might not reach completion. If that turns out to be the case, they admit it will mostly have been due to incompetence, corruption and lack of transparency. So if anything is to come out of the present deals, the Pakistanis will need to work harder to fulfil their part of institutional, legal, financial and logistical commitments. Some level of corruption is expected at both ends, and neither country is known for encouraging transparency. So we may not know until much later how much of this money is coming in the form of loans, how much in grants and how much in the shape of public or private investment. There is also a political dispute brewing in Pakistan, with some politicians threatening to oppose the corridor if its route is not planned along some specific areas. Economic expert Dr Kaisar Bengali says that while Pakistan has many problems to overcome, its move to end militant sanctuaries in the north-west has created an air of expectancy, and the arrival of Chinese investment at this time suggests Pakistan has a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make an economic turnaround. \"This is Pakistan's first opportunity since the 1960 Indus Water Treaty to change its economic geography,\" he says. The economic corridor starts at Gwadar and ends at Kashgar. Gwadar is located on the Arabian Sea coast of Balochistan, a province in south-west Pakistan which is wracked by a decade-old separatist insurgency. Kashgar is located at the centre of China's only Muslim-majority, Turkic-speaking Xinjiang region. It is populated mainly by ethnic Uighur Muslims, and has been home to a separatist movement since the mid-1990s. There has been a recent upsurge in violence which China blames on separatist \"terrorists\". Between Gwadar and Kashgar, the corridor passes through areas that are within striking range of Pakistan's Taliban insurgents. Until recently they controlled territory along Pakistan's north-western border with Afghanistan, and hosted the largest concentration of Uighur militants outside China. They still have a presence in the border region, though their sanctuaries have been disrupted by a Pakistani military operation that began last June. Both Uighur and Pakistani Taliban militants have been targeting Chinese nationals in Pakistan. The Baloch insurgents have their roots in socialist ideology, but they too dismiss the Chinese as allies of Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province which they accuse of \"robbing\" Balochistan's resources. A former diplomat, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, said in a TV debate that the Pakistani army has decided to raise a special force to safeguard this 3,000km corridor. Many are sceptical because the army previously failed to ensure a trouble-free supply to Nato troops in Afghanistan. But some believe the military is likely to treat the Chinese corridor differently because the economic benefits accruing from it could help isolate Baloch insurgents. Pakistanis have long described their \"friendship\" with China as higher than the Himalayas, deeper than the oceans, and as information minister Pervez Rashid put it more recently, sweeter than honey. But behind these lofty words lie some hard-core interests. China has been a more reliable and less meddlesome supplier of military hardware to Pakistan than the US, and is therefore seen by Pakistanis as a silent ally against arch-rival India. Friendly exchanges with China also help Pakistan show to its \"more volatile\" allies in the west, notably the US, that it has other powerful friends as well. For the Chinese, the relationship has a geo-strategic significance. The corridor through Gwadar gives them their shortest access to the Middle East and Africa, where thousands of Chinese firms, employing tens of thousands of Chinese workers, are involved in development work. The corridor also promises to open up remote, landlocked Xinjiang, and create incentives for both state and private enterprises to expand economic activity and create jobs in this under-developed region. China could also be trying to find alternative trade routes to by-pass the Malacca straits, presently the only maritime route China can use to access the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Apart from being long, it can be blockaded in times of war. This may be the reason China is also pursuing an eastern corridor to the Bay of Bengal, expected to pass through parts of Myanmar, Bangladesh and possibly India. Experts say much of Chinese activity is geared towards boosting domestic income and consumption as its previous policy of encouraging cheap exports is no longer enough to sustain growth. On the external front, it is investing in a number of ports in Asia in an apparent attempt to access sources of energy and increase its influence over maritime routes. There are indications the Americans have been encouraging China to play a stabilising role in Afghanistan. And few in Pakistan believe that American influence is likely to significantly recede from this region in the short run. In the long run, though, the Americans will definitely be working on strategies to cope with the rise of Russia and China, and what that means for the resource-rich regions of Central Asia and the Middle East. Likewise, while the Indians have China as one of their largest trading partners, they may have long-term security concerns about Chinese control of the Pakistani port of Gwadar.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1391, "answer_start": 227, "text": "The money China is planning to pour into Pakistan is more than twice the amount of all foreign direct investment (FDI) Pakistan has received since 2008, and considerably more than the entire assistance from the United States, Pakistan's largest donor until now, since 2002. Pakistani officials say most projects will reach completion in between one and three years, although some infrastructure projects could take from 10 to 15 years. So the investment is not going to be spread too thin over a longer period of time, as happened with the US assistance. Also, this investment will be heavily concentrated in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a combination of transport and energy projects and the development of a major deep-sea port offering direct access to the Indian Ocean and beyond. Experts say this will create jobs and spark economic activity in Pakistan which over the last three decades has become a cranky, rent-seeking military power torn by armed insurgencies and a failing system of service delivery. But as defence analyst Professor Hasan Askari Rizvi warns, the real game changer is not the signing of deals, but their timely execution." } ], "id": "6_0", "question": "Why has this got people talking?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2674, "answer_start": 1392, "text": "Officials admit that some deals already signed by China and Pakistan in 2010 might not reach completion. If that turns out to be the case, they admit it will mostly have been due to incompetence, corruption and lack of transparency. So if anything is to come out of the present deals, the Pakistanis will need to work harder to fulfil their part of institutional, legal, financial and logistical commitments. Some level of corruption is expected at both ends, and neither country is known for encouraging transparency. So we may not know until much later how much of this money is coming in the form of loans, how much in grants and how much in the shape of public or private investment. There is also a political dispute brewing in Pakistan, with some politicians threatening to oppose the corridor if its route is not planned along some specific areas. Economic expert Dr Kaisar Bengali says that while Pakistan has many problems to overcome, its move to end militant sanctuaries in the north-west has created an air of expectancy, and the arrival of Chinese investment at this time suggests Pakistan has a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make an economic turnaround. \"This is Pakistan's first opportunity since the 1960 Indus Water Treaty to change its economic geography,\" he says." } ], "id": "6_1", "question": "But what will happen to all that money?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6218, "answer_start": 4376, "text": "Pakistanis have long described their \"friendship\" with China as higher than the Himalayas, deeper than the oceans, and as information minister Pervez Rashid put it more recently, sweeter than honey. But behind these lofty words lie some hard-core interests. China has been a more reliable and less meddlesome supplier of military hardware to Pakistan than the US, and is therefore seen by Pakistanis as a silent ally against arch-rival India. Friendly exchanges with China also help Pakistan show to its \"more volatile\" allies in the west, notably the US, that it has other powerful friends as well. For the Chinese, the relationship has a geo-strategic significance. The corridor through Gwadar gives them their shortest access to the Middle East and Africa, where thousands of Chinese firms, employing tens of thousands of Chinese workers, are involved in development work. The corridor also promises to open up remote, landlocked Xinjiang, and create incentives for both state and private enterprises to expand economic activity and create jobs in this under-developed region. China could also be trying to find alternative trade routes to by-pass the Malacca straits, presently the only maritime route China can use to access the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Apart from being long, it can be blockaded in times of war. This may be the reason China is also pursuing an eastern corridor to the Bay of Bengal, expected to pass through parts of Myanmar, Bangladesh and possibly India. Experts say much of Chinese activity is geared towards boosting domestic income and consumption as its previous policy of encouraging cheap exports is no longer enough to sustain growth. On the external front, it is investing in a number of ports in Asia in an apparent attempt to access sources of energy and increase its influence over maritime routes." } ], "id": "6_2", "question": "Why is China doing this?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6834, "answer_start": 6219, "text": "There are indications the Americans have been encouraging China to play a stabilising role in Afghanistan. And few in Pakistan believe that American influence is likely to significantly recede from this region in the short run. In the long run, though, the Americans will definitely be working on strategies to cope with the rise of Russia and China, and what that means for the resource-rich regions of Central Asia and the Middle East. Likewise, while the Indians have China as one of their largest trading partners, they may have long-term security concerns about Chinese control of the Pakistani port of Gwadar." } ], "id": "6_3", "question": "What do the US and India think?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The people of mainly Muslim Tajikistan have voted on a proposal to ban religion-based parties, in a poll set to strengthen the president's power. Emomali Rakhmon has ruled the ex-Soviet Central Asian republic since 1992, surviving a civil war which ended in a deal with the Islamist opposition. Moves to ban the opposition Islamic Renaissance Party began last year. The results of the referendum, which also asks for presidential term limits to be lifted, are due on Monday. According to state news agency Khovar, turnout had reached 88.3% two hours before polling stations closed at 20:00 (15:00 GMT). Elections in Tajikistan have long been criticised by outside observers for failing to meet basic democratic standards. The referendum also proposes lowering the age limit for running for president from 35 to 30 - a move that would theoretically allow Mr Rakhmon's son Rustam, who is 29, to run for office in 2020. The three points are contained in a parliamentary bill on amendments to the constitution. The single question on the ballot form was \"Do you support the amendments and additions to the constitution of the country?\" Tajikistan is one of the poorest countries in the region and relies heavily on Russia, with remittances from citizens working abroad - mainly in Russia - making up half of the country's GDP. Since the power-sharing agreement that ended the bloody civil war in 1997, Islamists have been gradually pushed out of the government. Fears have also grown that the Afghan conflict could spill across Tajikistan's border. Emomali Rakhmon has been in power since 1992, and has managed to increase his power by cracking down on political dissent and freedom of expression. Mr Rakhmon has substantial public support - and his rather serious face can be seen on posters across Tajikistan. People sing his praises and dedicate poems to him. And huge crowds turn up to presidential rallies - although attendance is obligatory for state employees. Mr Rakhmon's supporters are grateful the civil war of the 1990s is over - but life is not easy for most Tajiks. Read more", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1545, "answer_start": 722, "text": "The referendum also proposes lowering the age limit for running for president from 35 to 30 - a move that would theoretically allow Mr Rakhmon's son Rustam, who is 29, to run for office in 2020. The three points are contained in a parliamentary bill on amendments to the constitution. The single question on the ballot form was \"Do you support the amendments and additions to the constitution of the country?\" Tajikistan is one of the poorest countries in the region and relies heavily on Russia, with remittances from citizens working abroad - mainly in Russia - making up half of the country's GDP. Since the power-sharing agreement that ended the bloody civil war in 1997, Islamists have been gradually pushed out of the government. Fears have also grown that the Afghan conflict could spill across Tajikistan's border." } ], "id": "7_0", "question": "Son as successor?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Sri Lanka's Supreme Court has suspended the president's move to dissolve parliament, as a political crisis in the island nation deepens. President Maithripala Sirisena shocked the nation by sacking parliament and calling snap elections on Friday. The dramatic decision came two weeks after Mr Sirisena fired his prime minister and replaced him with the country's former leader. But his actions have been called unconstitutional. Ranil Wickremesinghe, the ousted PM, had refused to give way to his named successor, Mahinda Rajapaksa, and had called for MPs to vote on who they believed was the rightful premier. Correspondents said the president and Mr Rajapaksa decided to called the snap election because they did not have enough support in parliament for their new government. Mr Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP) said the move was illegal and it and other parties filed petitions with the Supreme Court. Its order means that elections, announced for 5 January, have been put on hold. Hundreds of heavily-armed police had been deployed to the court ahead of Tuesday's decision and UNP supporters set off firecrackers in celebration as news of the order filtered out. \"The people have won their first victory. Let's go forward and re-establish the sovereignty of the people in our beloved country,\" tweeted Mr Wickremesinghe. Namal Rajapaksa, an MP and son of Mahinda Rajapaksa, responded by saying the court had not made a \"final decision\". Mr Sirisena, the president, and Mr Wickremesinghe, the sacked prime minister, joined forces in the 2015 election to defeat the then long-time president, Mr Rajapaksa. But their uneasy coalition has since fractured and on 26 October Mr Sirisena announced he was sacking the PM and replacing him with Mr Rajapaksa. The pair had reportedly clashed in cabinet recently over government plans to lease a port to India. The sacking left the country with two people claiming to run the government, and Mr Wickremesinghe refused to leave his residence, Temple Trees. President Sirisena had agreed to convene parliament on 14 November but then dramatically reversed course last Friday, when he said he was dissolving parliament. It's unclear if parliament will now convene on Wednesday as originally planned but senior UNP officials have told the BBC that its MPs will show up. Mahinda Rajapaksa is a popular but controversial figure. As president, he ended the decades-long civil war in 2009, but faced criticism for the means by which he achieved victory - many thousands of Tamil civilians are thought to have been killed by government forces in the final months of the fighting. The military has always denied this, but it has remained a bitterly contentious issue and been the subject of intense scrutiny. Mr Rajapaksa also signed several large infrastructural deals with China when he was in office - saddling Sri Lanka with billions of dollars in debt. The former president and his inner circle are also accused of corruption, which they deny.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2321, "answer_start": 1454, "text": "Mr Sirisena, the president, and Mr Wickremesinghe, the sacked prime minister, joined forces in the 2015 election to defeat the then long-time president, Mr Rajapaksa. But their uneasy coalition has since fractured and on 26 October Mr Sirisena announced he was sacking the PM and replacing him with Mr Rajapaksa. The pair had reportedly clashed in cabinet recently over government plans to lease a port to India. The sacking left the country with two people claiming to run the government, and Mr Wickremesinghe refused to leave his residence, Temple Trees. President Sirisena had agreed to convene parliament on 14 November but then dramatically reversed course last Friday, when he said he was dissolving parliament. It's unclear if parliament will now convene on Wednesday as originally planned but senior UNP officials have told the BBC that its MPs will show up." } ], "id": "8_0", "question": "What's the background?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2994, "answer_start": 2322, "text": "Mahinda Rajapaksa is a popular but controversial figure. As president, he ended the decades-long civil war in 2009, but faced criticism for the means by which he achieved victory - many thousands of Tamil civilians are thought to have been killed by government forces in the final months of the fighting. The military has always denied this, but it has remained a bitterly contentious issue and been the subject of intense scrutiny. Mr Rajapaksa also signed several large infrastructural deals with China when he was in office - saddling Sri Lanka with billions of dollars in debt. The former president and his inner circle are also accused of corruption, which they deny." } ], "id": "8_1", "question": "Who is Rajapaksa?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "An 18th Century Ethiopian crown has been returned home after being hidden in a Dutch flat for more than 20 years. Ethiopian Sirak Asfaw, who fled to the Netherlands in the late 1970s, found the crown in 1998 in the suitcase of a visitor and realised it was stolen. The management consultant protected it until he alerted a historian and Dutch police of his discovery last year. On Thursday, Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received the crown, thought to be one of just 20 in existence. The crown has depictions of Jesus Christ, God and the Holy Spirit, as well as Jesus' disciples, and was probably given to a church by the powerful warlord Welde Sellase hundreds of years ago. In a tweet, Mr Abiy said he was grateful to Mr Sirak and the Dutch government for the return of the \"precious crown\". Mr Sirak left his home country in 1978 to escape the political repression of the Communist government, or Derg, which had come to power in 1974. The regime unleashed a wave of violence known as the Red Terror, which killed hundreds of thousands and forced many to leave. The former refugee used to host Ethiopians who had left the country in his Rotterdam flat throughout the 1980s and 1990s. \"Friends, refugees, whoever,\" he said. It was one of these visitors staying at his home in 1998 who was carrying the crown in his bag. \"Most people don't really care about this cultural heritage. I'm loyal to Ethiopia,\" he told the BBC in an interview last year. Mr Sirak confronted the man and insisted the crown was not leaving unless it could be returned to its home. After asking for help on internet forums - which yielded no useful answers - he decided the best course of action was to hold onto the crown until he knew it would be safe. \"You end up in such a suffocating situation, not knowing who to tell or what to do, or to hand over,\" he said. \"And of course afraid that the Dutch government might confiscate it.\" \"I had fire alarms all over my house, eight or something like that. Really scared!\" But after the reforming Mr Abiy becoming prime minister in 2018, Mr Sirak felt the time was right to have a piece of Ethiopia's history return to Addis Ababa. He contacted Arthur Brand, known as the \"Indiana Jones of the art world\", for help returning it home. \"I explained to him, look, either the crown will disappear or you [will], if you continue like this,\" Mr Brand told the BBC. \"I said if the people who were involved at the time got knowledge of it, the risk was that they would come back and would take the crown from him.\" With the consent of the Dutch police, the art hunter placed the artefact in a secure facility. An expert confirmed it was genuine, and Mr Brand decided the best course of action was to announce it publicly. \"It's an amazing piece. It's very big, I feel pity for the people who had to wear it on their heads because when you wear this for a couple of hours your neck hurts,\" he said. Both men waited for the Ethiopian government to get in touch with the Dutch authorities to plan the return of the crown. \"I want this crown to be a symbol of unity and togetherness,\" Mr Sirak said. \"The crown will be celebrated by all of us Ethiopians, even Africans.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2002, "answer_start": 801, "text": "Mr Sirak left his home country in 1978 to escape the political repression of the Communist government, or Derg, which had come to power in 1974. The regime unleashed a wave of violence known as the Red Terror, which killed hundreds of thousands and forced many to leave. The former refugee used to host Ethiopians who had left the country in his Rotterdam flat throughout the 1980s and 1990s. \"Friends, refugees, whoever,\" he said. It was one of these visitors staying at his home in 1998 who was carrying the crown in his bag. \"Most people don't really care about this cultural heritage. I'm loyal to Ethiopia,\" he told the BBC in an interview last year. Mr Sirak confronted the man and insisted the crown was not leaving unless it could be returned to its home. After asking for help on internet forums - which yielded no useful answers - he decided the best course of action was to hold onto the crown until he knew it would be safe. \"You end up in such a suffocating situation, not knowing who to tell or what to do, or to hand over,\" he said. \"And of course afraid that the Dutch government might confiscate it.\" \"I had fire alarms all over my house, eight or something like that. Really scared!\"" } ], "id": "9_0", "question": "What's the story of the crown?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The holy month of Ramadan could never be described as a time of feverish activity in the Gulf states that sit between Shia Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia. It is brutally hot even after the fasting daylight hours give way to the feasting hours of the humid evening. The sound of Koran readings in the ancient mosques drifts across the modern skyline - a reminder of the energies devoted to prayerful contemplation. But this year the atmosphere feels a little different. In the Gulf there is a keen awareness that the deadline is approaching in the talks between the US-led world powers and the government of Iran over that country's nuclear ambitions. The Sunni monarchies of the region follow the issue as closely as it is followed in Israel - which of course considers itself the likeliest target for any future Iranian nuclear bomb. The fears in the Gulf are slightly more complex. Many of the conflicts raging in the Middle East, from Yemen to Iraq to Syria, are defined to some extent by the ancient division between the two main traditions of Islam - Shia and Sunni. Iran sees itself as a protector of the Shia wherever they may be found and also believes in the right to export its brand of revolution. Its regional rivals led by Saudi Arabia therefore regard it as a dangerous and destabilising power - ever ready to blow on the flames of political dissent through its proxy armies like Hezbollah in Lebanon. Most of the Gulf states are Sunni with Shia minorities but Bahrain has a Shia majority ruled by a Sunni monarchy. It is no stranger to political unrest and reports that members of that Shia majority are abused, even tortured, in prison - something the authorities deny. Add to that the uncomfortable fact that historically Iran once regarded Bahrain as its own territory and that some at least of the Kingdom's Shia population have their roots in Persia and you can see why Bahrain views Iran with particular anxiety. The Chief of Police in Bahrain, Major-General Tariq al-Hassan, showed me an impressive collection of guns, ammunition and explosives recovered on anti-terrorist operations in recent years. He says it is clear that Iran is inspiring, inciting and attempting to arm extremist groups in the Kingdom. \"There's no doubt there's overwhelming evidence of Iranian interference, direct and indirect,\" he told me. \"We have evidence the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps or elements within it have been involved in training, funding and recruiting terrorists in Bahrain.\" Model state: Lebanon pivotal to Iran's reach across Middle East Iranian ambitions breed scepticism and fear in Israel The problem for the Gulf states is that it is possible to see a downside to the outcome of the nuclear negotiations with Iran however they end. If there is no deal the Iranians may emerge from the talks as an embittered adversary of the Sunni world, readier than ever to support their powerful proxies around the region - that means not just Lebanese Hezbollah but the heavily-armed and well-trained Shia militias of Iraq too. If there is a nuclear deal and the global economic sanctions are lifted then the Iranians would have much more money to spend on those paramilitary forces if they chose to do so. And of course there is the over-arching question of Iran's nuclear ambitions themselves. Tehran adamantly denies that it intends to use its increasing nuclear expertise to build a bomb - to weaponise that knowledge, in the jargon of diplomacy. Its adversaries are united in scepticism but divided about the best way to react if it becomes clear that Iran is seeking to acquire The Bomb. Israel has been debating for years the possibility of launching pre-emptive air strikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure - a repeat on a larger scale of the type of air operations undertaken against nuclear targets in both Iraq and Syria in the past. That carries with it the risk of triggering retaliation from the Iranians of course (perhaps via Hezbollah) and may only delay the project by three-to-five years, according to some experts. Israel of course already has nuclear weapons of its own - although its strict policy of not acknowledging that fact in public means they are often not discussed as a factor in this equation. The Gulf states do not have The Bomb - but when I discussed all of this with the foreign minister of Bahrain, Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad al-Khalifa, he offered a gloomy warning about the dangers of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. He said simply: \"A nuclear programme that is unchecked, that would produce a nuclear weapon, would no doubt cause an arms race. It wouldn't only be Saudi Arabia but many other countries in the region would want to hire that capability.\" The prospect of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East is a disturbing one - particularly given the almost limitless financial resources that a country like Saudi Arabia could afford to spend on such a project. It is fair to say though that not everyone in the Middle East - and indeed not everyone in Bahrain - sees things in quite the same way. Dr Jasim Husain is a senior figure in the Shia al-Wefaq movement which is Bahrain's largest political movement and which boycotted last year's elections here. He says it is too easy for non-Shia to demonise Iran and makes the point that there are plenty of other risks and dangers in the Middle East too. \"I think this is really an unfair characterisation of Iran,\" he told me, \"I think it's way too much to describe one country as being very unbalanced and a danger. I think the real problems are the problems we're having with Isis [Islamic State] - they are the real threats in the region.\" The world powers negotiating with Iran clearly accept to some extent at least that the government in Tehran is dangerous - both in its readiness to fund paramilitary forces outside its borders and possibly in its nuclear ambitions. There seems to be a general sense that some sort of deal is likely in which Iran will agree to limits on its nuclear programme in return for an easing of sanctions. In the Middle East when people feel free to speak off the record they worry a little that America is too keen to make the deal because the Obama administration is desperate for some kind of diplomatic agreement that will be seen as a historical legacy of his presidency. Managing a process that sees Iran re-integrated into global politics and trade might fit the bill but there are deep fears in the Middle East about the price that Iran might extract in return. There is much at stake as these talks climax in the Ramadan of 2015 - it will be interesting to see how stable things look when Ramadan rolls round again next year.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6676, "answer_start": 4710, "text": "The prospect of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East is a disturbing one - particularly given the almost limitless financial resources that a country like Saudi Arabia could afford to spend on such a project. It is fair to say though that not everyone in the Middle East - and indeed not everyone in Bahrain - sees things in quite the same way. Dr Jasim Husain is a senior figure in the Shia al-Wefaq movement which is Bahrain's largest political movement and which boycotted last year's elections here. He says it is too easy for non-Shia to demonise Iran and makes the point that there are plenty of other risks and dangers in the Middle East too. \"I think this is really an unfair characterisation of Iran,\" he told me, \"I think it's way too much to describe one country as being very unbalanced and a danger. I think the real problems are the problems we're having with Isis [Islamic State] - they are the real threats in the region.\" The world powers negotiating with Iran clearly accept to some extent at least that the government in Tehran is dangerous - both in its readiness to fund paramilitary forces outside its borders and possibly in its nuclear ambitions. There seems to be a general sense that some sort of deal is likely in which Iran will agree to limits on its nuclear programme in return for an easing of sanctions. In the Middle East when people feel free to speak off the record they worry a little that America is too keen to make the deal because the Obama administration is desperate for some kind of diplomatic agreement that will be seen as a historical legacy of his presidency. Managing a process that sees Iran re-integrated into global politics and trade might fit the bill but there are deep fears in the Middle East about the price that Iran might extract in return. There is much at stake as these talks climax in the Ramadan of 2015 - it will be interesting to see how stable things look when Ramadan rolls round again next year." } ], "id": "10_0", "question": "US sell-out?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The Islamist militant group Boko Haram has been active in north-eastern Nigeria for well over a decade. President Buhari says its activities have been largely brought under control since he assumed office in 2015. His political opponents disagree and say the situation has recently deteriorated both in terms of the number of attacks and kidnappings by the group. Ahead of Nigeria's elections on 23 February, BBC Reality Check examines the competing claims over the security situation in the country. Formed around 2002 as a non-violent organisation with the aim of purifying Islam in northern Nigeria, it became increasingly radicalised and eventually adopted militant tactics in pursuit of its aims. It has been active not only in Nigeria, but also in the neighbouring countries of Chad, Niger and Cameroon. Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed and more than two million displaced over the past decade. Boko Haram has been notorious for kidnapping schoolchildren and attracted global media attention in 2014 following the abduction of almost 300 girls from a school in the town of Chibok, in Borno, the state where the militant group has been most active. In 2015, Boko Haram was ranked the world's deadliest terror group by the Institute for Economics and Peace. Since then, territory controlled by the group has declined and it has splintered into competing factions. However, the Islamist militants remain active in the region, defying attempts by the army to bring the insurgency to an end. To underline this continued activity, in 2018 more than 100 schoolgirls were kidnapped from the northern town of Dapchi. Most of the girls were eventually released. The former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is supporting main opposition candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has strongly criticised President Muhammadu Buhari's record on tackling Boko Haram. \"The security situation has deteriorated, with kidnapping everywhere,\" said Mr Obasanjo in January. But President Buhari's view of the security situation is very different. He says the militants have been \"decimated\" since 2015 in their stronghold of Borno State. So what are the available facts regarding both attacks on civilians and on kidnappings? Insecurity and poor communications in rural areas make assessment both for the government and independent organisations particularly difficult and many incidents go unreported. The Nigerian government's National Bureau of Statistics provides public access to economic, social and general security data gathered within Nigeria but a spokesman told BBC News it did not collect data on the activities of Boko Haram. However, research by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) tracks information by monitoring local media and other reports. From a peak in 2015 of more than 5,000, the number of deaths attributed to Boko Haram has fallen off significantly to below 1,000 a year for the past three years. This decline followed a military campaign launched against Boko Haram in 2015 by the Nigerian government, with international support. Large areas of territory previously controlled by Boko Haram were recaptured during this offensive. So, President Buhari is right to say killings by militants have declined substantially since he came to office in 2015. But these attacks have not ended completely and there have been several in the early weeks of 2019. \"In terms of the current situation, I do think the current trend line is quite dangerous and that they are far from defeated,\" says Alex Thurston, a visiting assistant professor of political science and comparative religion at Miami University of Ohio. The Nigeria Security Tracker, a product of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), in Washington, monitors kidnappings through local media reports. These indicate a peak in the number of kidnappings in 2014 and 2015, when Boko Haram was at its strongest militarily. However, despite a dramatic fall in reported kidnappings in 2016, the level has risen since then, with 310 reported last year. One theory put forward for this increase is that as Boko Haram has lost territory and military influence, its tactics have shifted away from direct confrontation with security forces. Instead, the militants have turned their attention to soft targets such as schools and rural villages, taking hostages from these locations. So, when Mr Obasanjo says \"the security situation has deteriorated with kidnapping everywhere\", he's right in the sense that the level of kidnapping is on the increase and that major incidents such as the kidnapping of more than 100 schoolgirls in Dapchi, in 2018, do give serious cause for concern. This fear is particularly heightened given Boko Haram's use of children as suicide bombers. In 2017 and 2018, there were 77 and 26 incidences respectively of children being used in this way by the militants. In 2016 this figure was nine, according to Unicef. Looking at the distribution of all kidnappings across Nigeria, this is clearly not the case, with Boko Haram operating largely in the far north-east of the country. Kidnappings have also been regularly reported in the country's oil-rich southern Niger Delta region - but these are unrelated to the activities of Boko Haram. So, looking at the overall picture of kidnappings, not just by Boko Haram, you can see that the distribution is more geographically widespread - but it's certainly not the case as Mr Obasanjo says that kidnappings have been taking place \"everywhere\" across the country. Overall, the picture of Boko Haram activity in the north-east of Nigeria appears to be one of declining military activity. But along with this has come a recent rise in kidnappings although it's not clear whether this indicates a resurgence in the strength of the group or a re-focusing on softer targets. Amendment: The Nigerian presidential election has been delayed until 23 February and this has been reflected in the article. Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1673, "answer_start": 501, "text": "Formed around 2002 as a non-violent organisation with the aim of purifying Islam in northern Nigeria, it became increasingly radicalised and eventually adopted militant tactics in pursuit of its aims. It has been active not only in Nigeria, but also in the neighbouring countries of Chad, Niger and Cameroon. Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed and more than two million displaced over the past decade. Boko Haram has been notorious for kidnapping schoolchildren and attracted global media attention in 2014 following the abduction of almost 300 girls from a school in the town of Chibok, in Borno, the state where the militant group has been most active. In 2015, Boko Haram was ranked the world's deadliest terror group by the Institute for Economics and Peace. Since then, territory controlled by the group has declined and it has splintered into competing factions. However, the Islamist militants remain active in the region, defying attempts by the army to bring the insurgency to an end. To underline this continued activity, in 2018 more than 100 schoolgirls were kidnapped from the northern town of Dapchi. Most of the girls were eventually released." } ], "id": "11_0", "question": "What is Boko Haram?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3171, "answer_start": 2220, "text": "Insecurity and poor communications in rural areas make assessment both for the government and independent organisations particularly difficult and many incidents go unreported. The Nigerian government's National Bureau of Statistics provides public access to economic, social and general security data gathered within Nigeria but a spokesman told BBC News it did not collect data on the activities of Boko Haram. However, research by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) tracks information by monitoring local media and other reports. From a peak in 2015 of more than 5,000, the number of deaths attributed to Boko Haram has fallen off significantly to below 1,000 a year for the past three years. This decline followed a military campaign launched against Boko Haram in 2015 by the Nigerian government, with international support. Large areas of territory previously controlled by Boko Haram were recaptured during this offensive." } ], "id": "11_1", "question": "Have attacks by Boko Haram declined?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4921, "answer_start": 3645, "text": "The Nigeria Security Tracker, a product of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), in Washington, monitors kidnappings through local media reports. These indicate a peak in the number of kidnappings in 2014 and 2015, when Boko Haram was at its strongest militarily. However, despite a dramatic fall in reported kidnappings in 2016, the level has risen since then, with 310 reported last year. One theory put forward for this increase is that as Boko Haram has lost territory and military influence, its tactics have shifted away from direct confrontation with security forces. Instead, the militants have turned their attention to soft targets such as schools and rural villages, taking hostages from these locations. So, when Mr Obasanjo says \"the security situation has deteriorated with kidnapping everywhere\", he's right in the sense that the level of kidnapping is on the increase and that major incidents such as the kidnapping of more than 100 schoolgirls in Dapchi, in 2018, do give serious cause for concern. This fear is particularly heightened given Boko Haram's use of children as suicide bombers. In 2017 and 2018, there were 77 and 26 incidences respectively of children being used in this way by the militants. In 2016 this figure was nine, according to Unicef." } ], "id": "11_2", "question": "What about kidnappings?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5946, "answer_start": 4922, "text": "Looking at the distribution of all kidnappings across Nigeria, this is clearly not the case, with Boko Haram operating largely in the far north-east of the country. Kidnappings have also been regularly reported in the country's oil-rich southern Niger Delta region - but these are unrelated to the activities of Boko Haram. So, looking at the overall picture of kidnappings, not just by Boko Haram, you can see that the distribution is more geographically widespread - but it's certainly not the case as Mr Obasanjo says that kidnappings have been taking place \"everywhere\" across the country. Overall, the picture of Boko Haram activity in the north-east of Nigeria appears to be one of declining military activity. But along with this has come a recent rise in kidnappings although it's not clear whether this indicates a resurgence in the strength of the group or a re-focusing on softer targets. Amendment: The Nigerian presidential election has been delayed until 23 February and this has been reflected in the article." } ], "id": "11_3", "question": "Are kidnappings 'everywhere'?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Tent camps have become one of the most prominent and controversial symbols of San Francisco's problem with homelessness. The camps have sprung up along streets and under overpasses, swelling in some cases to 30 or 40 tents. They have divided opinion in a city which has seen an influx of well-paid tech workers in recent years but struggled to house its poorer citizens. Now a new ballot measure, backed financially by tech investors and to be voted on by residents next month, is proposing to introduce laws against the tent camps. Proposition Q would give the city the right to tear down camps and remove residents' belongings. Police would have to give 24 hours notice and find a shelter for anyone they turf out. Supporters say the measure prioritises housing over dangerous camp environments. Opponents say it is yet another move to criminalise the homeless. Here's what you need to know about Prop Q. In theory, a police officer or other city worker would offer someone sleeping in a tent a room in a shelter for the night, or a paid bus ticket out of the city to a family member or friend, under the city's existing \"Homeward Bound\" programme. If the homeless person refused, they would be given 24 hours notice to dismantle their tent and vacate the site. If they failed to comply, the city would remove the tent and store the owner's possessions for up to 90 days. Prop Q was drawn up and sponsored by Mark Farrell, a San Francisco city supervisor. Mr Farrell told the BBC that the camps had become \"the symbol of the city's homeless problem\" and were \"some of the most dangerous places you can imagine\". \"From documented rapes, to fires, to tonnes and tonnes of waste - these camps are a significant strain on our public safety resources,\" he said. Mr Farrell and Prop Q's other advocates say no one will be moved on from a camp unless there is a guaranteed bed for them that night. He said that allowing the camps to remain and providing water or other assistance would encourage homeless people to come to the city. \"If word got out... we would see a massive influx of tent camps in the city,\" he said. Mr Farrell said he \"completely rejected\" the accusation that the law would criminalise the homeless. \"This is about rejecting dangerous living environments and prioritising shelter and housing,\" he said. In the other corner is San Francisco city supervisor John Avalos, Prop Q's official opposition. Mr Avalos called Prop Q \"a political move\". \"Police already have all the powers they need to move encampments,\" he said in an interview. \"This measure is on the ballot so voters can vote with their anger about homelessness.\" He said the key to solving homelessness was to focus resources on supportive housing. \"This measure does not do anything to increase supportive housing, it pushes people from sidewalk to sidewalk, from block to block, in the hope of housing that doesn't exist.\" \"This is kind of like a tough love measure,\" he said. \"But we know from the past, they tend to operate on very little love and mostly toughness.\" Also opposing the law is San Francisco's Coalition on Homelessness charity. Jennifer Friedenbach, the charity's executive director, called it \"an incredibly deceptive measure\" and warned it would stir up hate against the homeless. \"It's already illegal for tents to be on the sidewalks,\" she said. \"So it bears the question why put it on the ballot? The only reason is to have the homeless vilified to draw out more conservative voters.\" Not exactly. San Francisco has a lower homelessness rate than many major US cities including LA, Seattle, and Washington DC. But San Francisco does have a significantly higher proportion of unsheltered homeless people - 511 per 100,000 people, according to 2015 data from the city's Housing Department. That's more than five times the rate of unsheltered homeless than Washington DC, which has twice the overall rate of homelessness. And San Francisco's homelessness rate is slowing growing, according to the Housing Department's biannual survey. One of the central arguments against Prop Q is that there aren't enough rooms in shelters to move people to, so the homeless will just get pushed around. Mr Farrell says that a new so-called Navigation Centre under development, plus the city's existing sheltered housing, will total 1,500 rooms, against just 600 people believed to be in tent camps. But opponents point to the total number of homeless in the city, thought to be at least 6,500 but possibly as high as 9,500, and say there is already a long daily waiting list for a room. \"We have over 800 people waiting for shelter,\" said Ms Friedenbach, \"and the city would hold shelter beds empty in order to offer them to people in encampments, putting other elderly people and people with disabilities who are in those shelter beds out on the streets.\" Is San Francisco tougher on homelessness than other cities? According to a 2015 study by California's University of Berkeley, the average city in the state has nine homelessness laws - significantly more than in other states. San Francisco has the most - 23 laws. San Francisco's include so called \"sit-lie\" - a 2010 measure which bans sitting or lying on the sidewalk during daytime hours and is punishable by up to six months in prison. And a 2015 measure against begging which set a 20ft perimeter around cash machines and made it illegal to ask for money again from someone who had refused. That measure did also include provisions to get more homeless people into drug or mental health programmes instead of prison. According to a report by the Guardian, wealthy tech investors have donated significant amounts of money to the campaign for Prop Q. The newspaper reported that Sequoia Capital chairman Michael Moritz, tech angel investor Ron Conway, and hedge-fund investor William Oberndorf donated $49,999 each to a war chest totalling $270,000. Mr Farrell said the campaign had also had large numbers of small donations from ordinary voters, but the news that rich investors putting up most of the funds has angered many. \"These are people who spend more money in a year than homeless people have for a budget for food for six years... I mean how awful to have a billionaire funding a campaign to take away people's tents,\" Ms Friedenbach said. Anti-homelessness legislation has typically been popular among voters in San Francisco and proponents say they are confident of it passing. The measure needs more than 50% of the vote to pass. Voting is on 8 November.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1373, "answer_start": 907, "text": "In theory, a police officer or other city worker would offer someone sleeping in a tent a room in a shelter for the night, or a paid bus ticket out of the city to a family member or friend, under the city's existing \"Homeward Bound\" programme. If the homeless person refused, they would be given 24 hours notice to dismantle their tent and vacate the site. If they failed to comply, the city would remove the tent and store the owner's possessions for up to 90 days." } ], "id": "12_0", "question": "How would it work on the street?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2318, "answer_start": 1374, "text": "Prop Q was drawn up and sponsored by Mark Farrell, a San Francisco city supervisor. Mr Farrell told the BBC that the camps had become \"the symbol of the city's homeless problem\" and were \"some of the most dangerous places you can imagine\". \"From documented rapes, to fires, to tonnes and tonnes of waste - these camps are a significant strain on our public safety resources,\" he said. Mr Farrell and Prop Q's other advocates say no one will be moved on from a camp unless there is a guaranteed bed for them that night. He said that allowing the camps to remain and providing water or other assistance would encourage homeless people to come to the city. \"If word got out... we would see a massive influx of tent camps in the city,\" he said. Mr Farrell said he \"completely rejected\" the accusation that the law would criminalise the homeless. \"This is about rejecting dangerous living environments and prioritising shelter and housing,\" he said." } ], "id": "12_1", "question": "Who's supporting it, and why?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3485, "answer_start": 2319, "text": "In the other corner is San Francisco city supervisor John Avalos, Prop Q's official opposition. Mr Avalos called Prop Q \"a political move\". \"Police already have all the powers they need to move encampments,\" he said in an interview. \"This measure is on the ballot so voters can vote with their anger about homelessness.\" He said the key to solving homelessness was to focus resources on supportive housing. \"This measure does not do anything to increase supportive housing, it pushes people from sidewalk to sidewalk, from block to block, in the hope of housing that doesn't exist.\" \"This is kind of like a tough love measure,\" he said. \"But we know from the past, they tend to operate on very little love and mostly toughness.\" Also opposing the law is San Francisco's Coalition on Homelessness charity. Jennifer Friedenbach, the charity's executive director, called it \"an incredibly deceptive measure\" and warned it would stir up hate against the homeless. \"It's already illegal for tents to be on the sidewalks,\" she said. \"So it bears the question why put it on the ballot? The only reason is to have the homeless vilified to draw out more conservative voters.\"" } ], "id": "12_2", "question": "So who's opposing it, and why?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4032, "answer_start": 3486, "text": "Not exactly. San Francisco has a lower homelessness rate than many major US cities including LA, Seattle, and Washington DC. But San Francisco does have a significantly higher proportion of unsheltered homeless people - 511 per 100,000 people, according to 2015 data from the city's Housing Department. That's more than five times the rate of unsheltered homeless than Washington DC, which has twice the overall rate of homelessness. And San Francisco's homelessness rate is slowing growing, according to the Housing Department's biannual survey." } ], "id": "12_3", "question": "Is homelessness particularly bad in San Francisco?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5561, "answer_start": 4033, "text": "One of the central arguments against Prop Q is that there aren't enough rooms in shelters to move people to, so the homeless will just get pushed around. Mr Farrell says that a new so-called Navigation Centre under development, plus the city's existing sheltered housing, will total 1,500 rooms, against just 600 people believed to be in tent camps. But opponents point to the total number of homeless in the city, thought to be at least 6,500 but possibly as high as 9,500, and say there is already a long daily waiting list for a room. \"We have over 800 people waiting for shelter,\" said Ms Friedenbach, \"and the city would hold shelter beds empty in order to offer them to people in encampments, putting other elderly people and people with disabilities who are in those shelter beds out on the streets.\" Is San Francisco tougher on homelessness than other cities? According to a 2015 study by California's University of Berkeley, the average city in the state has nine homelessness laws - significantly more than in other states. San Francisco has the most - 23 laws. San Francisco's include so called \"sit-lie\" - a 2010 measure which bans sitting or lying on the sidewalk during daytime hours and is punishable by up to six months in prison. And a 2015 measure against begging which set a 20ft perimeter around cash machines and made it illegal to ask for money again from someone who had refused. That measure did also include provisions to get more homeless people into drug or mental health programmes instead of prison." } ], "id": "12_4", "question": "So presumably there aren't enough shelter beds?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6292, "answer_start": 5562, "text": "According to a report by the Guardian, wealthy tech investors have donated significant amounts of money to the campaign for Prop Q. The newspaper reported that Sequoia Capital chairman Michael Moritz, tech angel investor Ron Conway, and hedge-fund investor William Oberndorf donated $49,999 each to a war chest totalling $270,000. Mr Farrell said the campaign had also had large numbers of small donations from ordinary voters, but the news that rich investors putting up most of the funds has angered many. \"These are people who spend more money in a year than homeless people have for a budget for food for six years... I mean how awful to have a billionaire funding a campaign to take away people's tents,\" Ms Friedenbach said." } ], "id": "12_5", "question": "What's the funding controversy around Prop Q?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6510, "answer_start": 6293, "text": "Anti-homelessness legislation has typically been popular among voters in San Francisco and proponents say they are confident of it passing. The measure needs more than 50% of the vote to pass. Voting is on 8 November." } ], "id": "12_6", "question": "Finally, will it pass?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "It's crunch time for the government's EU Withdrawal Bill - the bill which aims to ensure European law will no longer apply in the UK after Brexit. This key plank of legislation, once known as the Great Repeal Bill, has reached committee stage in the House of Commons, which is the bit where there will be hundreds of attempts by MPs to change its wording. As its informal name suggests, the repeal bill will repeal the 1972 European Communities Act, which took Britain into the EU and meant that European law took precedence over laws passed in the UK Parliament. It will also end the power of the European Court of Justice in the UK. All existing EU legislation will be copied across into domestic UK law to ensure a smooth transition on the day after Brexit. The government says it wants to avoid a \"black hole in our statute book\" and avoid disruption to businesses and individual citizens as the UK leaves the EU. The UK Parliament can then \"amend, repeal and improve\" individual laws as necessary. Ensuring the continuity of EU rules and regulations is also meant to aid trade negotiations with the EU because the UK will already meet all of its product stands. The bill is likely to be \"one of the largest legislative projects ever undertaken in the UK\", a report by the House of Commons library predicts, with \"major swathes of the statute book\" needing to be examined to see how they will work after Brexit. This is because working out which bits of UK law came from the EU is not as simple as it may sound. In fact, it presents a \"unique challenge\", a House of Lords committee warned, because \"the body of EU law is found in a number of different places, and in a number of different forms\". Simply transposing all EU law into UK legislation will not be enough, the government's White Paper on the bill says. Swathes of UK law \"will no longer work\" on exit, for example because they refer to EU institutions. Not all of this can be done through the repeal bill, so the government plans to create powers to \"correct the statute book where necessary\" - without full Parliamentary scrutiny. This power - known as Henry VIII power - is the one of the most controversial features of the bill (see below). More complications are presented by the government's negotiations with the EU, which will be taking place while the bill is passing through Parliament. Those talks could shape what the UK's post-Brexit laws look like - but the repeal bill will need to be done and dusted by the day the UK leaves. The government plans to enact its \"corrections\" to the statute book using what are known as Henry VIII powers, after the Statute of Proclamations 1539 which gave him the power to legislate by proclamation. Given that this will not involve the usual Parliamentary scrutiny process, opposition parties have protested, with Labour claiming ministers were being handed \"sweeping powers\" to make hasty, ill thought-out legislation. Ministers have attempted to reassure critics by saying such measures will be time-limited and not used to make policy changes. In total, the government estimates that 800 to 1,000 measures called statutory instruments will be required to make sure the bill functions properly. A lot. The government's White Paper says there is \"no single figure\" for this, but that there are believed to be 12,000 EU regulations (one type of EU law) in force, while Parliament has passed 7,900 statutory instruments implementing EU legislation and 186 acts which incorporate a degree of EU influence. The total body of European law, dating back to 1958, is known as the Acquis Communautaire. It binds all member states and in 2010 was estimated to consist of about 80,000 items, covering everything from workers' rights to environment and trade. As well as regulations, this includes EU treaties, directions and European Court of Justice rulings. New EU legislation is being created all the time and will continue to apply to the UK until it leaves. Different types of EU legislation work in different ways, and will be treated differently by the bill. So regulations, which apply automatically in the UK, will be converted into UK law. But directives require a new UK law to come into force - this legislation will be preserved by the bill. Reality check: How much UK law comes from the EU? MPs have already voted to approve the second reading of the bill, by 326 votes to 290. But there are many hurdles ahead and on Tuesday the line-by-line scrutiny of how it will operate begins. As tends to happen with legislation deemed to be of constitutional importance, this 'committee stage' is taking place on the floor of the House of Commons, so all MPs can take part. Eight days have been allocated for this process, which will be followed by more stages including the bill's passage through the House of Lords. The plan is for it to be passed ahead of the UK's exit from the EU but to become law only when it actually leaves, in March 2019. Read more: A guide to the EU bill's journey through Parliament Labour, the SNP and the Lib Dems all opposed the bill at second reading, and MPs from all parties - with the exception of the DUP - are now trying to amend it at committee stage. Labour's suggested changes include trying to maintain a role for the European Court of Justice during the transition phase planned after March 2019. There is also a cross-party attempt to prevent the UK from leaving the EU without a deal in place. Until the UK actually leaves, EU law will continue to apply. But after leaving, the European Union (Withdrawal) Act (as it will be by then) comes into force. The government says having the legislation in place will ensure a \"calm and orderly exit\". Then begins the long-term process of the government, and Parliament, choosing what it wants to do with the laws it has incorporated from the EU. With so many pieces of legislation to be considered, this could turn out to be a \"major drain on resources\" and should not \"crowd out\" other government policies, the Institute for Government think tank has warned. Some of the EU laws are in areas that are controlled by the devolved administrations - so do they now become part of Westminster law, or will they be added to the statute book in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland? It is not entirely clear how this will work, although the government says it will work closely with the devolved administrations. It also predicts the repeal process will result in a \"a significant increase in the decision-making power of each devolved administration\", as powers in devolved areas are repatriated from Brussels. But the bill has been described by the Scottish government as an \"executive power grab\". Ministers have confirmed the devolved administrations will be asked to consent to the bill - but this does not amount to a veto. The UK government has warned that blocking the bill could have \"very significant consequences\", leaving \"a hole in our law\".", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3209, "answer_start": 2506, "text": "The government plans to enact its \"corrections\" to the statute book using what are known as Henry VIII powers, after the Statute of Proclamations 1539 which gave him the power to legislate by proclamation. Given that this will not involve the usual Parliamentary scrutiny process, opposition parties have protested, with Labour claiming ministers were being handed \"sweeping powers\" to make hasty, ill thought-out legislation. Ministers have attempted to reassure critics by saying such measures will be time-limited and not used to make policy changes. In total, the government estimates that 800 to 1,000 measures called statutory instruments will be required to make sure the bill functions properly." } ], "id": "13_0", "question": "What's Henry VIII got to do with it?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4307, "answer_start": 3210, "text": "A lot. The government's White Paper says there is \"no single figure\" for this, but that there are believed to be 12,000 EU regulations (one type of EU law) in force, while Parliament has passed 7,900 statutory instruments implementing EU legislation and 186 acts which incorporate a degree of EU influence. The total body of European law, dating back to 1958, is known as the Acquis Communautaire. It binds all member states and in 2010 was estimated to consist of about 80,000 items, covering everything from workers' rights to environment and trade. As well as regulations, this includes EU treaties, directions and European Court of Justice rulings. New EU legislation is being created all the time and will continue to apply to the UK until it leaves. Different types of EU legislation work in different ways, and will be treated differently by the bill. So regulations, which apply automatically in the UK, will be converted into UK law. But directives require a new UK law to come into force - this legislation will be preserved by the bill. Reality check: How much UK law comes from the EU?" } ], "id": "13_1", "question": "How much EU law is there?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5445, "answer_start": 5019, "text": "Labour, the SNP and the Lib Dems all opposed the bill at second reading, and MPs from all parties - with the exception of the DUP - are now trying to amend it at committee stage. Labour's suggested changes include trying to maintain a role for the European Court of Justice during the transition phase planned after March 2019. There is also a cross-party attempt to prevent the UK from leaving the EU without a deal in place." } ], "id": "13_2", "question": "What do other parties say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6942, "answer_start": 6054, "text": "Some of the EU laws are in areas that are controlled by the devolved administrations - so do they now become part of Westminster law, or will they be added to the statute book in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland? It is not entirely clear how this will work, although the government says it will work closely with the devolved administrations. It also predicts the repeal process will result in a \"a significant increase in the decision-making power of each devolved administration\", as powers in devolved areas are repatriated from Brussels. But the bill has been described by the Scottish government as an \"executive power grab\". Ministers have confirmed the devolved administrations will be asked to consent to the bill - but this does not amount to a veto. The UK government has warned that blocking the bill could have \"very significant consequences\", leaving \"a hole in our law\"." } ], "id": "13_3", "question": "How about Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "It's been a year that should dispel doubts the car industry is going through a technological revolution. The convergence of traditional motor manufacturing and new digital technologies has been shifting slowly through the gears for a couple of years. But in 2016, things hit top speed. A string of deals, strategic announcements and investments has even left some experts wondering if a bubble is growing. \"Manufacturers finally really understood the need for change,\" says Martin Benecke, Frankfurt-based analyst at IHS Automotive. \"They see the competitive threat from Google and Apple. They know they cannot respond by doing everything themselves, so have to form alliances and partnerships,\" he says. Barely a week has gone by without reports of a new taxi-hailing partnership, a connected-car development, or another advance in driverless technology. \"Carmakers have essentially followed the same business model for 100 years,\" says Phil Harrold, automotive partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers. \"Technology firms knew it was a market they could enter and disrupt. \"Old-fashioned OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] came to the realisation that if they are not to become irrelevant they have to embrace the technology and new services,\" he says. When German giant VW announced in November a huge 30,000 job cuts programme, less attention was paid to the 9,000 jobs it vowed to create under its \"Future Pact\" strategy to develop electric and self-driving cars. VW was engulfed in the diesel emissions scandal, but it gave the company the incentive, and shield, to begin a change in direction that might otherwise have taken years, says Benecke. As the saying goes - never let a good crisis go to waste. In the future, Volkswagen will be making fewer engines and gearboxes, and more batteries, sensors and software. There has also been a shift in consumer attitudes, although there remains particular unease about the introduction of driverless vehicles, according to surveys. Even so, scepticism about the viability of new transport technologies is being replaced by a real understanding of their potential, says Martyn Briggs, senior consultant at Frost & Sullivan. And there is now evidence of consumers deferring car buying because of the growth of taxi-hailing and car-sharing services, he says. Briggs recalls the Red Flag safety laws of the late 19th Century when people were required to walk ahead of a revolutionary new machine - the motor car. There has been a lot of flag waving about future transport services. \"But people now see it becoming reality,\" he says. The millennial generation no longer regards car ownership as a necessity, while the ageing generation sees taxi-hailing and driverless technology as the way to keep them mobile, Briggs says. For years, carmakers and tech firms, with their different cultures and pace of development, eyed each other with mutual suspicion. Now they see each other as potential partners, not adversaries. The shift was evident at the start of the year. January's lacklustre North American Auto Show, in Detroit, had already been upstaged days earlier in Las Vegas, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Forbes magazine reported CES as \"a high water mark in terms of the scale and significance of car technology unveiled\". Twelve months later and 2016 has ended with major developments from Silicon Valley titans Apple and Google-owner Alphabet. The former confirmed for the first time that it is developing a driverless car. The latter announced the creation of an independent company to exploit its already advanced transport and autonomous tech. Between the bookends of January and December were major deals that underlined the new adapt-or-die approach sweeping across motor manufacturing. General Motors bought a small three-year-old San Francisco company specialising in autonomous driving technology, Cruise Automation, for more than $1bn. GM also invested $500m in on-demand taxi-hailing business Lyft, a rival to Uber, and reportedly tried to buy the whole thing for $6bn. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles teamed up with Alphabet to collaborate on the development of self-driving minivans. Ford, whose chief executive Mark Fields now refers to the company that made the first mass-produced vehicle as a \"mobility services provider\", pushed deeper into connected-car technology. This included investment in a San Francisco cloud-based software and data analytics company, Pivotal, in which Microsoft also has a stake. Ford, which has a growing R&D presence in Silicon Valley, is testing connected cars in the UK that can communicate with each other to help speed up journeys and reduce accidents. Meanwhile, Jaguar Land Rover, which is testing similar connected technology in the UK, launched an independent start-up, InMotion, to develop smartphone apps and on-demand services. In future, you may not need to buy a Jaguar or a Land Rover. You'll be able to access the car you want, when you want it, at the swipe of a smartphone. There were more - many more - deals done during the year in the rush to secure competitive advantage or recover lost ground. In China, Didi Chuxing Technology took over Uber's taxi-hailing operation, and also received a $1bn investment from Apple. And China's biggest carmaker, Shanghai Automotive, launched what it claimed is the first internet-connected car, the Roewe RX5, fitted with the YunOS operating system (used in mobile phones) owned by Alibaba, better known as the company behind a huge online marketplace. There has been a sort of technological land grab. \"The competitive challenge galvanised rival companies into action,\" says Frost & Sullivan's Martyn Briggs. \"The challenge now for car companies (and tech firms) is how they use their systems on a global scale,\" he says. \"Partnerships are the key.\" He predicts more of the same in 2017, but in particular expects greater investment in artificial intelligence systems and an expansion in major cities of car-sharing schemes. But there will need to be a reckoning. \"The consumer only needs so many taxi-hailing and car-sharing apps. There will eventually need to be some consolidation,\" says Briggs. In 1908, the Ford Model T ushered in a mass market industry that at its core has remained the same for decades. But with the death of the internal combustion engine in sight, and the end of mass private ownership on the horizon, it's looking increasingly like 2016 was the year when some major players laid the groundwork for a new era.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5510, "answer_start": 4042, "text": "Fiat Chrysler Automobiles teamed up with Alphabet to collaborate on the development of self-driving minivans. Ford, whose chief executive Mark Fields now refers to the company that made the first mass-produced vehicle as a \"mobility services provider\", pushed deeper into connected-car technology. This included investment in a San Francisco cloud-based software and data analytics company, Pivotal, in which Microsoft also has a stake. Ford, which has a growing R&D presence in Silicon Valley, is testing connected cars in the UK that can communicate with each other to help speed up journeys and reduce accidents. Meanwhile, Jaguar Land Rover, which is testing similar connected technology in the UK, launched an independent start-up, InMotion, to develop smartphone apps and on-demand services. In future, you may not need to buy a Jaguar or a Land Rover. You'll be able to access the car you want, when you want it, at the swipe of a smartphone. There were more - many more - deals done during the year in the rush to secure competitive advantage or recover lost ground. In China, Didi Chuxing Technology took over Uber's taxi-hailing operation, and also received a $1bn investment from Apple. And China's biggest carmaker, Shanghai Automotive, launched what it claimed is the first internet-connected car, the Roewe RX5, fitted with the YunOS operating system (used in mobile phones) owned by Alibaba, better known as the company behind a huge online marketplace." } ], "id": "14_0", "question": "Why buy?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The death in a prison cell of a Syrian refugee suspected of planning a bomb attack in Germany is a judicial scandal, his lawyer has said. Jaber al-Bakr, 22, strangled himself in a jail in Leipzig with his shirt and the government has demanded an immediate inquiry. His lawyer said the prison was aware Bakr was a suicide risk after he was captured on Monday. However, regional authorities said he had not been considered an acute risk. Jaber al-Bakr was detained on Monday on suspicion of plotting to bomb an airport in Berlin, possibly in the coming days. When police raided his flat in the eastern city of Chemnitz early on Saturday, they found 1.5kg of TATP, a home-made explosive used in the deadly jihadist attacks in Paris last year and in Brussels last March. Sebastian Gemkow, justice minister in the eastern state of Saxony, told reporters a psychological assessment of the prisoner had been made and safety measures had been taken. And the head of the prison described Bakr during the day as \"calm and on an even keel\". \"It shouldn't have happened, but it did,\" the justice minister said, adding that he took responsibility for the suicide but would not resign. Prison officials rejected reports that Bakr was only being checked on an hourly basis. Originally, he was given top-level supervision, involving 15-minute intervals, but a panel of experts agreed hours before he died to lower the regular checks to every 30 minutes. There is no video monitoring of prisoners held in remand cells in Saxony, said prison governor Rolf Jacob. A guard stationed outside the cell door would have been more appropriate, he acknowledged. Jabr al-Bakr's body was found at 19:45 (17:45 GMT) on Wednesday evening, 15 minutes after a regular check, the prison governor said. Attempts to resuscitate him failed. Defence lawyer Alexander Huebner was adamant his client was a risk as he had already broken light bulbs and tampered with power sockets. He had also been refusing food and drink. The prison governor said later that the damage had been assessed as vandalism rather than an indication of potential suicide. \"How could this happen?\" Mr Huebner asked. \"He must have been the best-guarded prisoner in Germany.\" German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere demanded a \"rapid and comprehensive inquiry\". He told German TV that Bakr's death had made the task of investigating the possible Berlin airport bomb plot much harder. Centre-right CDU politician Wolfgang Bosbach said it was a tragedy to lose such an important source of intelligence. Leading centre-left SPD politician Burkhard Lischka blamed the Saxony authorities for the death in custody and said years of underfunding were to blame. Family Affairs Minister Manuela Schwesig simply tweeted: \"What on earth's going on?\" Granted asylum last year after coming to Germany in February 2015, he had been under surveillance for months on suspicion of being linked to jihadist group Islamic State. But when police raided his flat early on Saturday, he escaped. Police fired a warning shot but were wary of harming neighbours. After a two-day manhunt Bakr made his way to Leipzig, where he asked three Syrian asylum seekers for help. The three told police they had heard about the manhunt and tied him up while one of them knelt on him. One of the men took a photo of the captive to a police station, and he was detained in the early hours of Monday. Widely hailed as heroes in Germany, the three men were apparently implicated by Bakr in the bomb plot, German media reported, citing security officials in Leipzig. Call to reward Syrian refugees who arrested fugitive", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2210, "answer_start": 767, "text": "Sebastian Gemkow, justice minister in the eastern state of Saxony, told reporters a psychological assessment of the prisoner had been made and safety measures had been taken. And the head of the prison described Bakr during the day as \"calm and on an even keel\". \"It shouldn't have happened, but it did,\" the justice minister said, adding that he took responsibility for the suicide but would not resign. Prison officials rejected reports that Bakr was only being checked on an hourly basis. Originally, he was given top-level supervision, involving 15-minute intervals, but a panel of experts agreed hours before he died to lower the regular checks to every 30 minutes. There is no video monitoring of prisoners held in remand cells in Saxony, said prison governor Rolf Jacob. A guard stationed outside the cell door would have been more appropriate, he acknowledged. Jabr al-Bakr's body was found at 19:45 (17:45 GMT) on Wednesday evening, 15 minutes after a regular check, the prison governor said. Attempts to resuscitate him failed. Defence lawyer Alexander Huebner was adamant his client was a risk as he had already broken light bulbs and tampered with power sockets. He had also been refusing food and drink. The prison governor said later that the damage had been assessed as vandalism rather than an indication of potential suicide. \"How could this happen?\" Mr Huebner asked. \"He must have been the best-guarded prisoner in Germany.\"" } ], "id": "15_0", "question": "What went wrong at the jail?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2777, "answer_start": 2211, "text": "German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere demanded a \"rapid and comprehensive inquiry\". He told German TV that Bakr's death had made the task of investigating the possible Berlin airport bomb plot much harder. Centre-right CDU politician Wolfgang Bosbach said it was a tragedy to lose such an important source of intelligence. Leading centre-left SPD politician Burkhard Lischka blamed the Saxony authorities for the death in custody and said years of underfunding were to blame. Family Affairs Minister Manuela Schwesig simply tweeted: \"What on earth's going on?\"" } ], "id": "15_1", "question": "How serious is the blow to German intelligence?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A burglary at the residence of a North Korean diplomat in Pakistan has raised suspicion that the envoy might have been involved in large-scale booze bootlegging. Either that or the diplomat drinks a hefty amount himself, as the burglars took off with thousands of bottles of whisky, beer and wine from his Islamabad residence. Alcohol is illegal for Muslims in Pakistan and hence hard to get. Diplomats, though, have permission for a personal allowance and there is a suspicion that some of their quota often ends up on the black market. In early October, the residence of North Korean diplomat Hyon Ki-yong was broken into. He reported to the police that the burglars took off with two diamonds, several thousand US dollars, and a hefty hoard of liquor, beer and wine. The reports are conflicting. While Reuters news agency and Pakistan Today suggest the three robbers happened to be police officers and the authorities put out arrest warrants for them, other media suggest the whole thing was a police operation to begin with. Inspector Asjad Mehmood, the head of the Kohsar police station where the complaint was registered, told the BBC that three policemen were charged because they entered the diplomat's residence \"illegally\" and, upon finding the alcohol, did not report it back to superiors and instead \"tried to keep the stash for themselves\". The three men have been released on bail. A regular burglary would probably not be newsworthy. But this one involved alcohol - and lots of it. Again there are confusing reports but Reuters put the number well above 1,000 bottles of Johnnie Walker Black Label - said to be worth about $80 each on the black market Police are reported to have been told the robbers also took off with: - 200 cases of wine - 60 cartons of beer - Dozens of bottles of tequila Pakistan is a country where the majority-Muslim population is by law not allowed to drink alcohol. Some still drink, but alcohol is notoriously hard to come by. That has created a lucrative black market across the country. Foreign diplomats have a quota of how much alcohol they are allowed to bring in, and the booze has to stay in the embassy compound, not in the envoy's private residence. According to Reuters, the quarterly allowance for Mr Hyon would have been 120 litres of various spirits, 18 litres of wine and 240 litres of beer, far short of the amount of alcohol reportedly taken from his residence. This could mean two things: North Korean diplomats have been able to import a lot more than they are meant to and, unless they spend most of their days utterly drunk, they might have been selling the excess booze on the black market. North Korea's embassy has not commented on the allegations. The entire stash lifted from Mr Hyon could be worth more than $150,000 (PS115,000), Reuters estimates. North Koreans would not be the only diplomats selling their quotas to the growing market in Islamabad, says the BBC's Ilyas Khan, who is in Pakistan's capital. Pakistan has a few breweries of its own that produce for the country's non-Muslim population. But traditionally there has been a vast demand for imported drinks, particularly Scotch whisky and vodka. However, over the last 10 years or so, with the growth of Islamist militancy and its influence along the smuggling routes, western parts of the country have completely run dry, our correspondent says. This has boosted the business of Islamabad's bootleggers, and incentivised staffers of foreign diplomatic missions to make an extra buck on the black market. \"It certainly seems very plausible that this was for the black market,\" Andray Abrahamian of the Pacific Forum CSIS think-tank and the Griffith Asia Institute told the BBC. \"There's a track record of such illicit actions at North Korean missions abroad involving ivory, gold and alcohol.\" It would not be the first time that North Korean diplomats have been caught in the act. In 2015, there were allegations other diplomats had sold illegal liquor on the black market in Karachi. Also that year a North Korean diplomat was caught trying to smuggle $1.4m worth of gold into Bangladesh. And most recently, North Korean diplomats have been accused of smuggling ivory in Africa to earn cash that can be sent back to the regime in Pyongyang. The case of the gold in Bangladesh is particularly interesting because it illustrates the effect of tougher sanctions, Mr Abrahamian explains. Gold exports from North Korea used to be legal, but now Pyongyang has to find partners willing to falsify the origins of the precious metal. \"There's been something of a gangsterisation happening with many of their normal export goods having to use illicit paths,\" says Mr Abrahamian. UN imposes new sanctions on North Korea He adds that the proceeds of gold and arms' sales will likely be channelled back to the heart of the regime in Pyongyang, while smaller cases such as the liquor in Pakistan are probably for private gain or to fund the work of the diplomatic mission. With a sense that the entire world is out to get them, \"North Korean officials really feel like they are under siege, so it's a matter of survival\".", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2031, "answer_start": 1396, "text": "A regular burglary would probably not be newsworthy. But this one involved alcohol - and lots of it. Again there are confusing reports but Reuters put the number well above 1,000 bottles of Johnnie Walker Black Label - said to be worth about $80 each on the black market Police are reported to have been told the robbers also took off with: - 200 cases of wine - 60 cartons of beer - Dozens of bottles of tequila Pakistan is a country where the majority-Muslim population is by law not allowed to drink alcohol. Some still drink, but alcohol is notoriously hard to come by. That has created a lucrative black market across the country." } ], "id": "16_0", "question": "Why is it strange?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3536, "answer_start": 2032, "text": "Foreign diplomats have a quota of how much alcohol they are allowed to bring in, and the booze has to stay in the embassy compound, not in the envoy's private residence. According to Reuters, the quarterly allowance for Mr Hyon would have been 120 litres of various spirits, 18 litres of wine and 240 litres of beer, far short of the amount of alcohol reportedly taken from his residence. This could mean two things: North Korean diplomats have been able to import a lot more than they are meant to and, unless they spend most of their days utterly drunk, they might have been selling the excess booze on the black market. North Korea's embassy has not commented on the allegations. The entire stash lifted from Mr Hyon could be worth more than $150,000 (PS115,000), Reuters estimates. North Koreans would not be the only diplomats selling their quotas to the growing market in Islamabad, says the BBC's Ilyas Khan, who is in Pakistan's capital. Pakistan has a few breweries of its own that produce for the country's non-Muslim population. But traditionally there has been a vast demand for imported drinks, particularly Scotch whisky and vodka. However, over the last 10 years or so, with the growth of Islamist militancy and its influence along the smuggling routes, western parts of the country have completely run dry, our correspondent says. This has boosted the business of Islamabad's bootleggers, and incentivised staffers of foreign diplomatic missions to make an extra buck on the black market." } ], "id": "16_1", "question": "Where's the diplomat link?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Chinese negotiators have agreed to extend their stay in Washington, as the US and China push to strike a trade deal. The decision was the latest sign that the two countries may be nearing an agreement, as they look for a way out of last year's punishing trade war. In a statement shared by the White House, Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed \"progress\" in the negotiations. US President Donald Trump also said a deal was \"more likely\" than not. \"The fact that they're willing to stay for quite a bit longer... that means something,\" he told reporters at the White House. \"I think there's a good chance that it happens.\" The US and China placed tariffs on billions of dollars worth of the others' goods last year as they faced off on trade. The US had initially threatened to increase tariffs on $200bn worth of goods from 10% to 25% if the two sides could not agree a deal by 1 March. But Mr Trump has appeared more flexible recently, as negotiators meet in Washington for a fourth round of talks. On Friday, Mr Trump did not commit to extending the deadline, but he did note progress, including an agreement on currency manipulation, the details of which were not disclosed. He also said he may meet with Mr Xi in March at his Mar-A-Lago resort. Huawei has not been part of the discussions to date, he added. China's Vice Premier Liu He, who has been leading the talks for the Chinese, said his team was \"ready\" for a deal. \"From China, we believe that it is very likely that it will happen,\" he said. Washington wants Beijing to make changes to its economic policies, which it says unfairly favour domestic companies through subsidies and other support. China has offered to increase purchases of US goods, such as soybeans and semiconductors - a move that could reduce the US trade deficit, a focus for Mr Trump. However, the country is unlikely to embrace broader structural changes, which are seen by some internally as a way to contain its rise. On Friday, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who has been leading talks for the US, warned that \"major hurdles\" remain before a final agreement can be signed.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1503, "answer_start": 621, "text": "The US and China placed tariffs on billions of dollars worth of the others' goods last year as they faced off on trade. The US had initially threatened to increase tariffs on $200bn worth of goods from 10% to 25% if the two sides could not agree a deal by 1 March. But Mr Trump has appeared more flexible recently, as negotiators meet in Washington for a fourth round of talks. On Friday, Mr Trump did not commit to extending the deadline, but he did note progress, including an agreement on currency manipulation, the details of which were not disclosed. He also said he may meet with Mr Xi in March at his Mar-A-Lago resort. Huawei has not been part of the discussions to date, he added. China's Vice Premier Liu He, who has been leading the talks for the Chinese, said his team was \"ready\" for a deal. \"From China, we believe that it is very likely that it will happen,\" he said." } ], "id": "17_0", "question": "Where do talks stand now?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2120, "answer_start": 1504, "text": "Washington wants Beijing to make changes to its economic policies, which it says unfairly favour domestic companies through subsidies and other support. China has offered to increase purchases of US goods, such as soybeans and semiconductors - a move that could reduce the US trade deficit, a focus for Mr Trump. However, the country is unlikely to embrace broader structural changes, which are seen by some internally as a way to contain its rise. On Friday, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who has been leading talks for the US, warned that \"major hurdles\" remain before a final agreement can be signed." } ], "id": "17_1", "question": "What are the two sides discussing?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "US President Donald Trump has attacked Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election, calling it a \"total mess\" and \"absolutely nuts\". He tweeted on Thursday that investigators were \"threatening\" people to provide \"the answers they want\". \"They are screaming and shouting at people,\" Mr Trump wrote, adding that no collusion between his election campaign and Russia had been found. He says the inquiry is a \"witch hunt\". The US president has previously said the special counsel investigation led by Mr Mueller, who is a highly regarded former head of the FBI and a Republican, was unfair and dominated by \"hardened Democrats\". In Mr Trump's latest tweets, he describes Mr Mueller as \"conflicted\" and says that those involved in the long-running probe \"are a disgrace to our nation\". The president later tweeted that Mr Mueller and \"his gang of Democrat thugs\" were destroying people, and blamed social media tech giants for unfavourable coverage towards his administration and the Republicans. \"Check out how biased Facebook, Google and Twitter are in favour of the Democrats,\" he wrote. It is unclear what was behind his latest comments and Mr Trump did not provide any evidence for his claims. Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC Washington Donald Trump is back on the attack against Robert Mueller's special counsel investigation. After a brief mid-term interlude that included dire warnings about refugee caravans in Mexico and mix-and-match endorsements of Republican candidates, the looming Russia investigation is back on the president's mind - and his Twitter feed. Mr Trump may simply be reflecting the growing sense that Mr Mueller is poised for new action after a pre-election quiet period. Rumours and reports have swirled of impending indictments and late nights at the special counsel's office. There's also the possibility that the president knows something new - either passed along from his lawyers or allies under investigation, or from his newly appointed acting attorney general, who the New York Times referred to in September as the White House's \"eyes and ears\" in the justice department. Whatever the explanation, Mr Trump has appeared in a sour mood of late, lashing out at the media and, according to background sources, considering changes to his top staff. There is the feeling in Washington of an impending storm, of threats to the presidency from the outside and within. It's been a quiet few days, but that seems certain to change. It comes just a week after the US president forced the resignation of Jeff Sessions, the US Attorney General who was an early supporter of Mr Trump. Mr Sessions had earlier voluntarily removed himself from the Russia probe after Democrats accused him of failing to disclose contacts with the Russian ambassador during his Senate confirmation hearing. Following this decision, Mr Trump told the New York Times: \"Sessions should have never recused himself, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job and I would have picked somebody else.\" Mr Sessions' replacement in charge of the Department of Justice, Matthew Whitaker, now has the power to sack Mr Mueller or end the investigation. Mr Whitaker, who has been appointed acting attorney general, has been open about his concerns over the scope of Mr Mueller's inquiry. In 2016, US intelligence agencies concluded that Russia had used a state-authorised campaign of cyber attacks and fake news stories planted on social media in an attempt to turn the election against Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton. A team of investigators led by Mr Mueller is looking into whether anyone from Mr Trump's campaign colluded in the effort. It has been established that senior members of Mr Trump's team met Russian officials, while several of these meetings were not initially disclosed. The president's son, Donald Trump Jr, met a Russian lawyer during the campaign who was said to have \"dirt\" on Mrs Clinton, and adviser George Papadopoulos has admitted lying to the FBI about meetings with alleged go-betweens for Russia. Four people connected with Mr Trump's campaign and presidency have been charged and further indictments could be issued. However the US president denies any wrongdoing and no solid evidence has emerged to implicate him.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4329, "answer_start": 3368, "text": "In 2016, US intelligence agencies concluded that Russia had used a state-authorised campaign of cyber attacks and fake news stories planted on social media in an attempt to turn the election against Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton. A team of investigators led by Mr Mueller is looking into whether anyone from Mr Trump's campaign colluded in the effort. It has been established that senior members of Mr Trump's team met Russian officials, while several of these meetings were not initially disclosed. The president's son, Donald Trump Jr, met a Russian lawyer during the campaign who was said to have \"dirt\" on Mrs Clinton, and adviser George Papadopoulos has admitted lying to the FBI about meetings with alleged go-betweens for Russia. Four people connected with Mr Trump's campaign and presidency have been charged and further indictments could be issued. However the US president denies any wrongdoing and no solid evidence has emerged to implicate him." } ], "id": "18_0", "question": "What is behind the Russia investigation?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The government is being investigated over its decision to cancel 36,000 student visas due to accusations of cheating on English language tests. The Home Office has also deported more than 1,000 people after its own probe into exam fraud began in 2014. Spending watchdog the National Audit Office (NAO) said the Home Office's response would be reviewed after its decisions came under \"public scrutiny\". The Home Office says it is \"supporting\" the investigation. In a statement the NAO said: \"The Home Office revoked student visas where there was evidence of cheating, but its decisions have come under renewed public and parliamentary scrutiny in the wake of the Windrush scandal. \"The NAO is looking at the information held by the Home Office on the number of people alleged to have cheated and the action the Home Office has taken to date.\" The cheating scandal came to light in an undercover BBC Panorama investigation into fraud at two centres administering the mandatory language tests. The then government-approved Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) involves a written and oral section and a separate multiple-choice question paper. Following the report, Theresa May, then home secretary, said the evidence was \"very shocking\". As a result, the Home Office ordered the US firm providing the exams, Educational Testing Service (ETS), to check more than 58,000 tests taken between 2011 and 2014. It said voice-recognition software suggested that proxy test-takers were used in more than 30,000 cases. The technology extracts biometric features from an individual's speech to create a voice print, the vocal equivalent of a fingerprint. It then looked for possible matches which indicated the same individual took multiple tests, before auditors verified suspected matches. So far, the Home Office says, 25 people have been convicted over \"facilitating\" the exam fraud. But Labour MP Stephen Timms has said many students were falsely accused, and had been given no opportunity to clear their name. On Thursday, Mr Timms, MP for East Ham, told Victoria Derbyshire the treatment of the students had been \"a disgrace\". \"They trusted Britain to provide them with a decent education. Instead, they've been falsely accused of cheating and been given no chance to appeal.\" Foreign students accused of cheating by officials have told the BBC they have been left in limbo for years. Fatema Chowdhury came to the UK from Bangladesh in 2010 and finished her law degree in 2014 at the University of London. Speaking on Thursday's Victoria Derbyshire programme, she said at one stage she was detained for a week after being accused of cheating. She denies the accusation. Ms Chowdury has not been told to leave the UK, but while she remains in the country she is prevented from working and cannot use the NHS for free. \"During my delivery last year they charged me PS14,000 just to have a baby,\" she said. - .Nine guilty over student visa plot She said her \"dreams and hopes\" were now gone, and she was \"desperate\" to speak to someone at the Home Office to prove her innocence. But after four years of trying she said \"there is no hope\". Nidhin Chand, an Indian woman living in Scotland, spoke to BBC Scotland earlier this month about her fight to clear her name over fraud allegations. She has been accused of using a stand-in to sit an English language test for her visa application. She said: \"I have been crying every day... It is painful when someone calls you a fraud and arrests you in front of the public and humiliates you.\" The Home Office has said it welcomes \"genuine international students\" and that there is no limit on the number who study in the UK. In response to the new watchdog investigation, a spokesman said: \"We have been supporting the National Audit Office in its work on this investigation since the start of the year. We will consider the findings of the report once it is published.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1797, "answer_start": 1526, "text": "The technology extracts biometric features from an individual's speech to create a voice print, the vocal equivalent of a fingerprint. It then looked for possible matches which indicated the same individual took multiple tests, before auditors verified suspected matches." } ], "id": "19_0", "question": "How did they look for cheating?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "US President Donald Trump has named Lt Gen HR McMaster as his national security adviser. He will replace Lt Gen Michael Flynn who was fired after just three weeks and three days in the job. A lieutenant general with the US Army, HR McMaster served in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he worked on a government anti-corruption drive. Mr Trump's first choice, retired Vice Admiral Robert Harward, turned down the role, citing \"personal reasons\". Mr Trump has praised Herbert Raymond McMaster as \"a man of tremendous talent and tremendous experience\" who is \"highly respected by everybody in the military\". Gen McMaster served in Afghanistan and Iraq, and is known as a thoughtful, if straight-talking, military strategist, the BBC's Aleem Maqbool reports from Washington. He does not appear to have close ties to Moscow, and was recently commissioned to study the ways the US could counter some of Russia's military advances, our correspondent adds. Gen McMaster is no stranger to questioning authority. In a 2014 interview, he said: \"The commanders that I've worked for, they want frank assessments, they want criticism and feedback.\" Profile: The new national security adviser How much has Trump achieved so far? Russia: The scandal Trump can't shake Time magazine named him as one of its 100 most influential people in the world in 2014, saying he \"might be the 21st Century Army's pre-eminent warrior-thinker\". He criticised the US military's involvement in the Vietnam War in his book Dereliction of Duty. He has a PhD in US history from the University of North Carolina. Gen McMaster has said it is \"a privilege... to be able to continue serving our nation\" and that he looks forward to joining the national security team. The role involves serving as an independent adviser to the president on issues of national security and foreign policy. It is one of the most senior roles in the US government. Observers say the role's influence varies from administration to administration, but the adviser is seen as one of the president's key confidantes. The adviser attends the National Security Council, and may act as a broker between different government departments. The role is not subject to US Senate confirmation. Gen Flynn stepped down after misleading Vice-President Mike Pence over his conversations with Russia's ambassador to the US. Mr Flynn is alleged to have discussed US sanctions with Russia's ambassador in calls before his own appointment. It is illegal for private citizens to conduct US diplomacy. However, Mr Trump wrote on Twitter that the intelligence leaks about Mr Flynn's conversations were \"the real scandal\". Mr Flynn's short tenure led critics to describe Mr Trump's administration as chaotic. Keith Kellogg, who took over as acting national security adviser after the resignation, will now serve as the National Security Council chief of staff. The other candidates in the running were Robert Caslen, an Army lieutenant general who is the superintendent of the US Military Academy at West Point, and career diplomat John Bolton, who served as George W Bush's ambassador to the UN from August 2005 to December 2006. Mr Trump says Mr Bolton will also serve his government \"in another capacity\". Mr Trump held interviews with the four men at Mar-a-Lago where he spent the third weekend in a row. He has called Mar-a-Lago, a private property, the \"Southern White House\".", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1128, "answer_start": 439, "text": "Mr Trump has praised Herbert Raymond McMaster as \"a man of tremendous talent and tremendous experience\" who is \"highly respected by everybody in the military\". Gen McMaster served in Afghanistan and Iraq, and is known as a thoughtful, if straight-talking, military strategist, the BBC's Aleem Maqbool reports from Washington. He does not appear to have close ties to Moscow, and was recently commissioned to study the ways the US could counter some of Russia's military advances, our correspondent adds. Gen McMaster is no stranger to questioning authority. In a 2014 interview, he said: \"The commanders that I've worked for, they want frank assessments, they want criticism and feedback.\"" } ], "id": "20_0", "question": "Who is Lt Gen HR McMaster?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2215, "answer_start": 1723, "text": "The role involves serving as an independent adviser to the president on issues of national security and foreign policy. It is one of the most senior roles in the US government. Observers say the role's influence varies from administration to administration, but the adviser is seen as one of the president's key confidantes. The adviser attends the National Security Council, and may act as a broker between different government departments. The role is not subject to US Senate confirmation." } ], "id": "20_1", "question": "What will his role as national security adviser involve?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2718, "answer_start": 2216, "text": "Gen Flynn stepped down after misleading Vice-President Mike Pence over his conversations with Russia's ambassador to the US. Mr Flynn is alleged to have discussed US sanctions with Russia's ambassador in calls before his own appointment. It is illegal for private citizens to conduct US diplomacy. However, Mr Trump wrote on Twitter that the intelligence leaks about Mr Flynn's conversations were \"the real scandal\". Mr Flynn's short tenure led critics to describe Mr Trump's administration as chaotic." } ], "id": "20_2", "question": "Why did his predecessor step down?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3392, "answer_start": 2719, "text": "Keith Kellogg, who took over as acting national security adviser after the resignation, will now serve as the National Security Council chief of staff. The other candidates in the running were Robert Caslen, an Army lieutenant general who is the superintendent of the US Military Academy at West Point, and career diplomat John Bolton, who served as George W Bush's ambassador to the UN from August 2005 to December 2006. Mr Trump says Mr Bolton will also serve his government \"in another capacity\". Mr Trump held interviews with the four men at Mar-a-Lago where he spent the third weekend in a row. He has called Mar-a-Lago, a private property, the \"Southern White House\"." } ], "id": "20_3", "question": "Who else was considered for the job?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Chat apps that promise to prevent your messages being accessed by strangers are under scrutiny again following last week's terror attack in London. On Sunday, the home secretary said the intelligence services must be able to access relevant information. Her comments followed the discovery that Khalid Masood appeared to have used WhatsApp minutes before carrying out his killings. There are doubts about whether that action was related to the atrocity. BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw has highlighted that the police had declared that they believed Masood had acted alone on the day, and would not have done so unless they had accessed and read messages stored on his phone. Even so, the home secretary has summoned WhatsApp's owner, Facebook, and other technology companies to a meeting on Thursday to discuss ways to ensure that security officers get the data they need in the future. Several chat apps have adopted a technique called end-to-end encryption. This digitally scrambles their messages' contents when it leaves a sender's device, and then reassembles it on the recipient's computer using a shared key. The technology company running the service is not made privy to the key, so is unable to make sense of the conversation even though it passes through its computer servers. Some apps, including WhatsApp, Apple's iMessage, Signal and Threema, use end-to-end encryption by default. Others, such as Telegram, Line and Google's Allo, offer it as an option. If end-to-end encryption is active, the technology company running the app is limited in what useful information it can remotely disclose. But if a phone, tablet or PC is not passcode-protected - or if the authorities find a way to bypass the code - the physical device itself will provide access. Not necessarily. When someone sends or reads a message, they generate what's known as \"metadata\" - information about their interaction that is distinct from the chat's contents. This can include: - the time a message was written - the telephone number or other ID of the person it was sent to - the physical locations of the sender and recipient at the time WhatsApp has shared such details with law enforcement officers in the past and has said it has been co-operating with authorities over last week's incident. In addition, if Apple users subscribe to the company's iCloud Backup service, the firm may be able to recover messages copied to its servers for safe-keeping and it has co-operated with investigators in the past. It is not exactly clear. The Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, told the BBC that chat apps must not \"provide a secret place\" for terrorists to communicate, and that when a warrant had been issued, officers should be able to \"get into situations like encrypted WhatsApp\". On Sky News, she later added that she supported end-to-end encryption as a cybersecurity measure, but said it was \"absurd to have a situation where you can have terrorists talking to each other on a formal platform... and it can't be accessed\". How this would work in practice is uncertain. WhatsApp, for example, does not store messages on its servers after they have been delivered. So, even if there was a way to retrospectively unencrypt the chats, it is unclear how this would work without significant changes to its systems. At one point, there had been speculation that the Investigatory Powers Act - which came into effect last year - might ban chat app's use of end-to-end encryption outright. Instead, it stated that technology companies could be compelled to \"provide a technical capability\" to remove \"electronic protection\" within their products - which has been interpreted by some to mean app-makers might be compelled to secretly create backdoors or other security weaknesses to let messages be unscrambled. Files leaked by rogue US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden and Wikileaks suggest that even the most closely guarded hacking secrets can be revealed. And even if the tech companies did not share the technical details of the backdoors with the authorities - instead limiting themselves to passing on unscrambled chats - the very fact vulnerabilities existed means someone else might sniff them out. As a consequence, public trust in their software might be undermined. \"The encryption debate always rages after a terror incident, regardless of how effective backdoors would have been,\" said security consultant Troy Hunt. \"Even if, say, the UK was to ban encryption or mandate weaknesses be built into WhatsApp and iMessage, those with nefarious intent would simply obtain encryption products from other sources. \"These responses are kneejerk reactions by those who have little understanding of the efficacy and implications of what they're actually proposing.\" The TechUK lobby group said other hacking powers and a move to make internet providers keep a record of their customers' internet habits - which were also outlined in the Investigatory Powers Act - meant counter-terrorism officers already had strong powers to tackle threats. \"From storing data on the cloud to online banking to identity verification, end-to-end encryption is essential for preventing data being accessed illegally in ways that can harm consumers, business and our national security,\" said its deputy chief executive, Antony Walker.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1776, "answer_start": 898, "text": "Several chat apps have adopted a technique called end-to-end encryption. This digitally scrambles their messages' contents when it leaves a sender's device, and then reassembles it on the recipient's computer using a shared key. The technology company running the service is not made privy to the key, so is unable to make sense of the conversation even though it passes through its computer servers. Some apps, including WhatsApp, Apple's iMessage, Signal and Threema, use end-to-end encryption by default. Others, such as Telegram, Line and Google's Allo, offer it as an option. If end-to-end encryption is active, the technology company running the app is limited in what useful information it can remotely disclose. But if a phone, tablet or PC is not passcode-protected - or if the authorities find a way to bypass the code - the physical device itself will provide access." } ], "id": "21_0", "question": "What has this got to do with encryption?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2504, "answer_start": 1777, "text": "Not necessarily. When someone sends or reads a message, they generate what's known as \"metadata\" - information about their interaction that is distinct from the chat's contents. This can include: - the time a message was written - the telephone number or other ID of the person it was sent to - the physical locations of the sender and recipient at the time WhatsApp has shared such details with law enforcement officers in the past and has said it has been co-operating with authorities over last week's incident. In addition, if Apple users subscribe to the company's iCloud Backup service, the firm may be able to recover messages copied to its servers for safe-keeping and it has co-operated with investigators in the past." } ], "id": "21_1", "question": "Does that mean the technology companies have made it impossible for themselves to help investigators?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3793, "answer_start": 2505, "text": "It is not exactly clear. The Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, told the BBC that chat apps must not \"provide a secret place\" for terrorists to communicate, and that when a warrant had been issued, officers should be able to \"get into situations like encrypted WhatsApp\". On Sky News, she later added that she supported end-to-end encryption as a cybersecurity measure, but said it was \"absurd to have a situation where you can have terrorists talking to each other on a formal platform... and it can't be accessed\". How this would work in practice is uncertain. WhatsApp, for example, does not store messages on its servers after they have been delivered. So, even if there was a way to retrospectively unencrypt the chats, it is unclear how this would work without significant changes to its systems. At one point, there had been speculation that the Investigatory Powers Act - which came into effect last year - might ban chat app's use of end-to-end encryption outright. Instead, it stated that technology companies could be compelled to \"provide a technical capability\" to remove \"electronic protection\" within their products - which has been interpreted by some to mean app-makers might be compelled to secretly create backdoors or other security weaknesses to let messages be unscrambled." } ], "id": "21_2", "question": "What more does the government want?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5326, "answer_start": 3794, "text": "Files leaked by rogue US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden and Wikileaks suggest that even the most closely guarded hacking secrets can be revealed. And even if the tech companies did not share the technical details of the backdoors with the authorities - instead limiting themselves to passing on unscrambled chats - the very fact vulnerabilities existed means someone else might sniff them out. As a consequence, public trust in their software might be undermined. \"The encryption debate always rages after a terror incident, regardless of how effective backdoors would have been,\" said security consultant Troy Hunt. \"Even if, say, the UK was to ban encryption or mandate weaknesses be built into WhatsApp and iMessage, those with nefarious intent would simply obtain encryption products from other sources. \"These responses are kneejerk reactions by those who have little understanding of the efficacy and implications of what they're actually proposing.\" The TechUK lobby group said other hacking powers and a move to make internet providers keep a record of their customers' internet habits - which were also outlined in the Investigatory Powers Act - meant counter-terrorism officers already had strong powers to tackle threats. \"From storing data on the cloud to online banking to identity verification, end-to-end encryption is essential for preventing data being accessed illegally in ways that can harm consumers, business and our national security,\" said its deputy chief executive, Antony Walker." } ], "id": "21_3", "question": "Why might technology companies resist?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Austria's highest court has annulled the result of the presidential election narrowly lost by the candidate of the far-right Freedom Party. The party had challenged the result, saying that postal votes had been illegally and improperly handled. The Freedom Party candidate, Norbert Hofer, lost the election to the former leader of the Greens, Alexander Van der Bellen, by just 30,863 votes or less than one percentage point. The election will now be re-run. Announcing the decision, Gerhard Holzinger, head of the Constitutional Court, said: \"The challenge brought by Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache against the 22 May election... has been upheld.\" He added: \"The decision I am announcing today has no winner and no loser, it has only one aim: to strengthen trust in the rule of law and democracy.\" Austria's politics have been thrown into confusion. One of the most controversial and polarising presidential elections in recent history will have to be re-run. This is a moral victory for the far-right, anti-immigrant and Eurosceptic Freedom Party, which launched the legal challenge last month after alleging \"terrifying\" irregularities. The Freedom Party is hoping that the decision by the court will help its candidate Norbert Hofer win in the new election this autumn. Hanging over the vote is the shadow of \"Brexit\" - the UK's decision to leave the EU. Will Mr Hofer choose to make Austria's future membership of the EU a campaign issue? Some Austrians think the vote by the United Kingdom to leave the EU could boost populist and nationalist sentiment in Austria. Others believe the political turbulence in Britain may make people more cautious about Eurosceptic parties. Mr Hofer said on Friday he was pleased that the court had taken \"a difficult decision\", adding: \"I have great trust in the rule of law.\" Mr Van der Bellen said he was \"very confident\" he would emerge the winner. \"Austria needs to be well represented in Europe and the world. If we can do it once, we can do it again,\" he told reporters. Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern said the court ruling showed that the country's democracy was strong and he called for \"a short campaign, a campaign without emotions\". In two weeks of hearings, lawyers for the Freedom Party argued that postal ballots were illegally handled in 94 out of 117 districts. It alleged that thousands of votes were opened earlier than permitted under election rules and some were counted by people unauthorised to do so. The party also claimed to have evidence that some under-16s and foreigners had been allowed to vote. In its ruling, the court said election rules had been broken in a way that could have influenced the result. But it said there was no proof the count had been manipulated. If elected, Mr Hofer would become the first far-right head of state of an EU country. His party has based its election campaigns around concern over immigration and falling living standards for the less well-off. After Britain voted to leave the EU, Mr Hofer said he favoured holding a similar referendum in Austria if the bloc failed to stop centralisation and carry out reforms \"within a year\". Last Sunday, he told the Oesterreich newspaper (in German): \"If [the EU] evolves in the wrong direction, then in my opinion the time has come to ask the Austrians if they still want to be part of it.\" His opponent, Mr Van der Bellen, is strongly pro-EU and has spoken of his dream for a border-free \"United States of Europe\". The two men went forward to a run-off when, for the first time since World War Two, both the main centrist parties were knocked out in the first round of voting. Following the court's order to re-run the vote, President Heinz Fischer will be replaced on a temporary basis by three parliamentary officials, including Mr Hofer. The new election is expected to be held in September or October. It is a mostly ceremonial post. But the president does have the power to dissolve the National Council - the more powerful lower house of parliament. That triggers a general election. The president can only do that once for a particular reason - he cannot use the same grounds to dissolve it again. It is the chancellor's job to appoint government ministers. And the chancellor has the power to dismiss the government. But ministers have to be formally sworn in by the president. Norbert Hofer - Age: 45 - Background: Aeronautical engineer - Politics: Far-right Freedom Party - Campaign soundbite: \"To those in Austria who go to war for the Islamic State or rape women - I say to those people: 'This is not your home'.\" Alexander Van der Bellen - Age: 72 - Background: Economics professor - Politics: Former Green Party leader - Campaign soundbite: \"I've experienced how Austria rose from the ruins of World War Two, caused by the madness of nationalism.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4346, "answer_start": 3867, "text": "It is a mostly ceremonial post. But the president does have the power to dissolve the National Council - the more powerful lower house of parliament. That triggers a general election. The president can only do that once for a particular reason - he cannot use the same grounds to dissolve it again. It is the chancellor's job to appoint government ministers. And the chancellor has the power to dismiss the government. But ministers have to be formally sworn in by the president." } ], "id": "22_0", "question": "What powers does the Austrian president have?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Google says an advanced computer has achieved \"quantum supremacy\" for the first time, surpassing the performance of conventional devices. The technology giant's Sycamore quantum processor was able to perform a specific task in 200 seconds that would take the world's best supercomputer 10,000 years to complete. Scientists have been working on quantum computers for decades because they promise much faster speeds. The result appears in Nature journal. In classical computers, the unit of information is called a \"bit\" and can have a value of either 1 or 0. But its equivalent in a quantum system - the qubit (quantum bit) - can be both 1 and 0 at the same time. This phenomenon opens the door for multiple calculations to be performed simultaneously. But the qubits need to be synchronised using a quantum effect known as entanglement, which Albert Einstein termed \"spooky action at a distance\". However, scientists have struggled to build working devices with enough qubits to make them competitive with conventional types of computer. Sycamore contains 54 qubits, although one of them did not work, so the device ran on 53 qubits. In their Nature paper, John Martinis of Google, in Mountain View, and colleagues set the processor a random sampling task - where it produces a set of numbers that has a truly random distribution. Sycamore was able to complete the task in three minutes and 20 seconds. By contrast, the researchers claim in their paper that Summit, the world's best supercomputer, would take 10,000 years to complete the task. \"It's an impressive device and certainly an impressive milestone. We're still decades away from an actual quantum computer that would be able to solve problems we're interested in,\" Prof Jonathan Oppenheim, from UCL, who was not involved with the latest study, told BBC News. \"It's an interesting test, it shows they have a lot of control over their device, it shows that they have low error rates. But it's nowhere near the kind of precision we would need to have a full-scale quantum computer.\" IBM, which has been working on quantum computers of its own, questioned some of Google's figures. \"We argue that an ideal simulation of the same task can be performed on a classical system in 2.5 days and with far greater fidelity,\" IBM researchers Edwin Pednault, John Gunnels, and Jay Gambetta said in a blog post. \"This is in fact a conservative, worst-case estimate, and we expect that with additional refinements the classical cost of the simulation can be further reduced.\" They also queried Google's definition of quantum supremacy and said it had the potential to mislead. \"First because... by its strictest definition the goal has not been met. But more fundamentally, because quantum computers will never reign 'supreme' over classical computers, but will rather work in concert with them, since each have their unique strengths.\" Follow Paul on Twitter.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2905, "answer_start": 2041, "text": "IBM, which has been working on quantum computers of its own, questioned some of Google's figures. \"We argue that an ideal simulation of the same task can be performed on a classical system in 2.5 days and with far greater fidelity,\" IBM researchers Edwin Pednault, John Gunnels, and Jay Gambetta said in a blog post. \"This is in fact a conservative, worst-case estimate, and we expect that with additional refinements the classical cost of the simulation can be further reduced.\" They also queried Google's definition of quantum supremacy and said it had the potential to mislead. \"First because... by its strictest definition the goal has not been met. But more fundamentally, because quantum computers will never reign 'supreme' over classical computers, but will rather work in concert with them, since each have their unique strengths.\" Follow Paul on Twitter." } ], "id": "23_0", "question": "Worst-case scenario?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A government-appointed human rights group in Zimbabwe has accused soldiers of using \"systematic torture\" in a crackdown on protests. The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission strongly criticised authorities for using troops to quell demonstrations. Unrest broke out more than a week ago following a sharp rise in fuel prices. A government spokesman defended the crackdown, telling the BBC: \"When things get out of hand, a bit of firmness is needed.\" Reports have emerged of assaults allegedly carried out by the military in various parts of the capital, Harare. Soldiers in Harare were seen beating a large group of minibus drivers on Tuesday. The BBC's Andrew Harding in Harare spoke to a man who said he and about 30 others had been rounded up and beaten by soldiers for \"more than two hours\". The continuing violence raises further questions about President Emmerson Mnangagwa's control over the military, which helped bring him to power 14 months ago, our correspondent adds. President Mnangagwa has promised that abuses against civilians will not be tolerated. In a blunt statement, the commission said at least eight deaths had been reported since last week, \"mostly attributed to use of live ammunition\". \"Armed and uniformed members of the Zimbabwe National Army and the Zimbabwe Republic Police instigated systematic torture.\" It said the torture was \"organised\" in that security forces targeted men close to where barricades had been erected, and near areas torched by protesters or looted. The commission detailed reports of security forces entering houses at night and making men, and even boys as young as 11, lie on the ground where they were then beaten. \"The deployment of the army in quelling civilian disturbances leads to loss of life and serious bodily injuries and other human rights violations, yet the government continues to make such deployments,\" the statement said. Other reports say at least 12 people have been killed and scores treated for gunshot injuries. More than 600 people have been arrested in relation to the protests - with rights groups and opposition lawmakers saying many have been detained arbitrarily. Pastor Evan Mawarire, a prominent activist who led the 2016 protests against Robert Mugabe, was arrested on 16 January and remains in detention. On Monday Mr Mnangagwa, 76, broke off a trip to Europe to deal with the continuing unrest. He had been due to attend the Davos economic summit where he was expected to seek investment for Zimbabwe. Back in Harare, he took to Twitter to urge all sides to work together to fix a broken economy. In a series of tweets, he said violence or misconduct by security forces was \"unacceptable and a betrayal of the new Zimbabwe\", adding: \"If required, heads will roll.\" Mr Mnangagwa announced a steep increase in the fuel price earlier this month. The price rises were meant to tackle fuel shortages, but mean that Zimbabwe now has the most expensive fuel in the world, according to GlobalPetrolPrices.com. Many Zimbabweans, worn down by years of economic hardship, have suddenly found they cannot even afford the bus fare to work. This led to angry protests in Harare and the south-western city of Bulawayo. Ellen Ngwenia, a pre-school teacher in Epworth, told the BBC: \"I'm not afraid to protest, because we are hungry.\" Her mother, the school's headteacher, was killed in last week's protests after being hit by an army truck. Ms Ngwenia, who blames the government for her mother's death, said \"we will continue protesting until things [are] settled.\" It accuses the opposition MDC party of using the protests for political means. Presidential spokesman George Charamba said on Sunday: \"The MDC leadership has been consistently pushing out the message that they will use violent street action to overturn the results of [last year's] ballot.\" The opposition rejected a court ruling in August 2018 that confirmed President Mnangagwa had defeated MDC leader Nelson Chamisa The MDC said on Tuesday that five of its MPs had been detained and refused bail. Party official Morgen Komichi dismissed Mr Mnangagwa's announcement of an investigation into security forces, saying: \"We don't trust his word. We don't regard him as an honest leader.\" The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, the umbrella group that called the protests, says its leader, Japhet Moyo, has also been arrested. Mr Chamisa told the BBC there was \"no justification whatsoever of having soldiers with live ammunition, with guns, machine guns, AK47 on the streets, beating up citizens\". \"People are being approached in their homes, they are being taken out of their homes with their families even if they are sleeping... a lot of people have been arrested for no apparent reason,\" he said.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2285, "answer_start": 1061, "text": "In a blunt statement, the commission said at least eight deaths had been reported since last week, \"mostly attributed to use of live ammunition\". \"Armed and uniformed members of the Zimbabwe National Army and the Zimbabwe Republic Police instigated systematic torture.\" It said the torture was \"organised\" in that security forces targeted men close to where barricades had been erected, and near areas torched by protesters or looted. The commission detailed reports of security forces entering houses at night and making men, and even boys as young as 11, lie on the ground where they were then beaten. \"The deployment of the army in quelling civilian disturbances leads to loss of life and serious bodily injuries and other human rights violations, yet the government continues to make such deployments,\" the statement said. Other reports say at least 12 people have been killed and scores treated for gunshot injuries. More than 600 people have been arrested in relation to the protests - with rights groups and opposition lawmakers saying many have been detained arbitrarily. Pastor Evan Mawarire, a prominent activist who led the 2016 protests against Robert Mugabe, was arrested on 16 January and remains in detention." } ], "id": "24_0", "question": "What has been alleged?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2747, "answer_start": 2286, "text": "On Monday Mr Mnangagwa, 76, broke off a trip to Europe to deal with the continuing unrest. He had been due to attend the Davos economic summit where he was expected to seek investment for Zimbabwe. Back in Harare, he took to Twitter to urge all sides to work together to fix a broken economy. In a series of tweets, he said violence or misconduct by security forces was \"unacceptable and a betrayal of the new Zimbabwe\", adding: \"If required, heads will roll.\"" } ], "id": "24_1", "question": "What is President Mnangagwa doing?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3532, "answer_start": 2748, "text": "Mr Mnangagwa announced a steep increase in the fuel price earlier this month. The price rises were meant to tackle fuel shortages, but mean that Zimbabwe now has the most expensive fuel in the world, according to GlobalPetrolPrices.com. Many Zimbabweans, worn down by years of economic hardship, have suddenly found they cannot even afford the bus fare to work. This led to angry protests in Harare and the south-western city of Bulawayo. Ellen Ngwenia, a pre-school teacher in Epworth, told the BBC: \"I'm not afraid to protest, because we are hungry.\" Her mother, the school's headteacher, was killed in last week's protests after being hit by an army truck. Ms Ngwenia, who blames the government for her mother's death, said \"we will continue protesting until things [are] settled.\"" } ], "id": "24_2", "question": "How did the protests start?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4731, "answer_start": 3952, "text": "The MDC said on Tuesday that five of its MPs had been detained and refused bail. Party official Morgen Komichi dismissed Mr Mnangagwa's announcement of an investigation into security forces, saying: \"We don't trust his word. We don't regard him as an honest leader.\" The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, the umbrella group that called the protests, says its leader, Japhet Moyo, has also been arrested. Mr Chamisa told the BBC there was \"no justification whatsoever of having soldiers with live ammunition, with guns, machine guns, AK47 on the streets, beating up citizens\". \"People are being approached in their homes, they are being taken out of their homes with their families even if they are sleeping... a lot of people have been arrested for no apparent reason,\" he said." } ], "id": "24_3", "question": "What has the opposition said?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The leader of Australia's eastern New South Wales state has declared a week-long state of emergency in response to the escalating bushfire threat. High temperatures and strong winds are forecast for the weekend, leading to \"widespread extreme fire danger\". Troops are also preparing to evacuate some of the 4,000 people trapped by fires in neighbouring Victoria state. Since September, bushfires have killed 18 people and destroyed more than 1,200 homes across NSW and Victoria. At least 17 people remain missing after fires this week alone. Thousands of people are already fleeing a vast \"tourist leave zone\" in NSW, with supplies running low in some cut-off towns. It's been called \"the largest relocation out of the region ever\". In Victoria, a naval vessel has arrived off the coastal town of Mallacoota, near the NSW border. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said the ship would take up to 800 people early on Friday. He said it could do \"multiple trips\". Defence Minister Linda Reynolds tweeted that the HMAS Choules was in position. The state of emergency will kick in at 08:00 on Friday (21:00 GMT on Thursday) and last for seven days. It will allow local authorities to carry out forced evacuations, road closures \"and anything else we need to do as a state to keep our residents and to keep property safe\", NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Thursday. \"We don't take these decisions lightly but we also want to make sure we're taking every single precaution to be prepared for what could be a horrible day on Saturday.\" The state government has warned that conditions are likely to be \"at least as bad\" as New Year's Eve, when hundreds of homes were destroyed. Earlier, fire officials told holidaymakers to urgently leave a 260km (160-mile) stretch of NSW coast before Saturday. Long lines of cars have clogged highways leading back towards Sydney and Canberra. Local media reported hour-long queues for petrol in the town of Batemans Bay, while fuel was being trucked in to the region as supplies dwindled. Many roads remained closed due to continuing fires and other dangers, such as unstable or fallen trees. Workers were clearing roads, restoring power, and conducting \"backburning\" operations to thin out bushland near fire fronts. NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance urged people to drive slowly amid thick smoke. This week's fires have destroyed at least 381 homes in NSW and 43 in Victoria, but officials say that number will grow. The seven deaths in NSW include: - Two people found in separate cars on Wednesday morning - A father and son who stayed behind to defend their home and farm equipment - A 28-year-old volunteer firefighter who was killed when wind flipped his fire engine Family members of Mick Roberts, a 67-year-old Victorian missing since Monday, confirmed that he had been found dead in his home in Buchan, East Gippsland. \"Very sad day for us to (start) the year but we're a bloody tight family and we will never forget our mate and my beautiful Uncle Mick,\" his niece Leah Parson said on Facebook. Mr Andrews said there were \"significant fears\" for 17 people unaccounted for in his state. Fire services in Victoria and NSW warned they had been unable to reach some people in remote areas. In the capital Canberra - an administrative region surrounded by NSW - bushfire smoke meant air quality there was rated worse than any major global city on Thursday, according to Swiss-based group AirVisual. An elderly woman died after being exposed to the smoke as she exited a plane at Canberra airport, local reports say. Australia Post has suspended deliveries in the city \"until further notice\". - Are you affected by the fires? Let us know by emailing [email protected] Under the NSW 1994 State Emergency and Rescue Management Act, the premier can issue a state of emergency when there is considered to be \"a significant and widespread danger to life or property\". - A state of emergency cuts the red tape, making it quicker and easier for emergency services to act - It puts the premier in direct command of all agencies and the allocation of resources and significantly increases the powers of the Rural Fire Service commissioner - Authorities can order people to evacuate from at-risk places or to \"do all such things as are reasonably necessary\" to make them leave, including through reasonable force - Emergency workers may be cleared to use force to get inside a property or take possession of it if needed - Authorities can open and close roads as needed, shut down utilities and pull down infrastructure - Financial assistance can be made available to volunteers Two regions of Western Australia (WA) were also facing catastrophic fire danger on Thursday, and parts of South Australia were expected to see extreme conditions on Friday. The ABC reported that bushfires had forced the closure of a 330km stretch of a highway in WA, causing traffic jams. Emergency supplies including water and toilet paper were flown in to a remote guesthouse located about 1,000km (620 miles) east of Perth which has been cut off from the city by bushfires. About 120 people were on the Caiguna Roadhouse site, where temperatures were forecast to reach 48 degrees. In Tasmania a fire burning on the outskirts of the state capital Hobart was downgraded from emergency to watch and act status. On Thursday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison repeated his calls to people not to panic and to trust emergency workers. \"I understand the fear that is there for many and the frustration, but this is a natural disaster, and natural disasters are best dealt with through the methodical, well-co-ordinated response that we are seeing today,\" he told a press conference. Amid criticism that he had \"gone missing\" during the crisis, Mr Morrison added that cabinet would meet on Monday to consider a long-term bushfire response. Meteorologists say a climate system in the Indian Ocean, known as the dipole, is the main driver behind the extreme heat in Australia. However many parts of Australia have been in drought conditions, some for years, which has made it easier for the fires to spread and grow.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6119, "answer_start": 4614, "text": "Two regions of Western Australia (WA) were also facing catastrophic fire danger on Thursday, and parts of South Australia were expected to see extreme conditions on Friday. The ABC reported that bushfires had forced the closure of a 330km stretch of a highway in WA, causing traffic jams. Emergency supplies including water and toilet paper were flown in to a remote guesthouse located about 1,000km (620 miles) east of Perth which has been cut off from the city by bushfires. About 120 people were on the Caiguna Roadhouse site, where temperatures were forecast to reach 48 degrees. In Tasmania a fire burning on the outskirts of the state capital Hobart was downgraded from emergency to watch and act status. On Thursday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison repeated his calls to people not to panic and to trust emergency workers. \"I understand the fear that is there for many and the frustration, but this is a natural disaster, and natural disasters are best dealt with through the methodical, well-co-ordinated response that we are seeing today,\" he told a press conference. Amid criticism that he had \"gone missing\" during the crisis, Mr Morrison added that cabinet would meet on Monday to consider a long-term bushfire response. Meteorologists say a climate system in the Indian Ocean, known as the dipole, is the main driver behind the extreme heat in Australia. However many parts of Australia have been in drought conditions, some for years, which has made it easier for the fires to spread and grow." } ], "id": "25_0", "question": "What is happening elsewhere?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Weight-loss surgery can cut the risk of diabetes and heart attacks as well as keep fat off, a UK study suggests. It is the largest comprehensive investigation of bariatric surgery - spanning around four years in nearly 8,000 patients. The health benefits of the surgery are clear and substantial for people who are severely overweight, the authors told PLoS Medicine. They say 1.4m people in England could benefit. Currently, around 8,000 people a year receive the treatment on the NHS. If all 1.4m were offered bariatric surgery, the researchers estimate it would avert nearly 5,000 heart attacks and 40,000 cases of type 2 diabetes over four years. All surgery carries risks, however, and so people should only be offered surgery if attempts to lose weight through healthy eating and physical activity have already been tried and not worked, they add. Experts said surgery should not be seen as a 'quick fix'. Bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery, is used as a last resort to treat people who are dangerously obese (having a body mass index of 40 or above or 35 plus other obesity-related health conditions). Guidelines for the NHS all patients with a BMI of 35 or over who have recent-onset type 2 diabetes should be assessed for surgery. Patients must have tried and failed to achieve clinically beneficial weight loss by all other appropriate non-surgical methods and be fit for surgery. The two most common types of weight loss surgery are: - Sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass, where some of the stomach is removed or the digestive system is re-routed past most of the stomach - Gastric band, where a band is used to reduce the size of the stomach so a smaller amount of food is required to make someone feel full NHS Choices Calculate your BMI For the study, the researchers compared 3,882 patients who underwent weight loss surgery with an identical number who did not. They looked at gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy and gastric banding. All led to a dramatic and sustained weight loss of between 20kg and 48kg. And the weight stayed off. This, in turn, significantly lowered the person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, angina and heart attacks. Among those who already had diabetes, their condition improved substantially and many (60%) were able to come off medication altogether. Lead researcher Dr Ian Douglas, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: \"The results are really encouraging. Obviously we would love to help people lose weight in other ways, through exercise and healthy diets, but that's difficult. Diets do not always work well for everyone. \"We are not saying surgery is right for everyone, but it can be really effective.\" Dr Alasdair Rankin of Diabetes UK warned bariatric surgery should not be seen as a one-stop solution for type 2 diabetes and obesity. \"It should be offered along with ongoing support and clear plans for long term follow up.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2946, "answer_start": 912, "text": "Bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery, is used as a last resort to treat people who are dangerously obese (having a body mass index of 40 or above or 35 plus other obesity-related health conditions). Guidelines for the NHS all patients with a BMI of 35 or over who have recent-onset type 2 diabetes should be assessed for surgery. Patients must have tried and failed to achieve clinically beneficial weight loss by all other appropriate non-surgical methods and be fit for surgery. The two most common types of weight loss surgery are: - Sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass, where some of the stomach is removed or the digestive system is re-routed past most of the stomach - Gastric band, where a band is used to reduce the size of the stomach so a smaller amount of food is required to make someone feel full NHS Choices Calculate your BMI For the study, the researchers compared 3,882 patients who underwent weight loss surgery with an identical number who did not. They looked at gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy and gastric banding. All led to a dramatic and sustained weight loss of between 20kg and 48kg. And the weight stayed off. This, in turn, significantly lowered the person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, angina and heart attacks. Among those who already had diabetes, their condition improved substantially and many (60%) were able to come off medication altogether. Lead researcher Dr Ian Douglas, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: \"The results are really encouraging. Obviously we would love to help people lose weight in other ways, through exercise and healthy diets, but that's difficult. Diets do not always work well for everyone. \"We are not saying surgery is right for everyone, but it can be really effective.\" Dr Alasdair Rankin of Diabetes UK warned bariatric surgery should not be seen as a one-stop solution for type 2 diabetes and obesity. \"It should be offered along with ongoing support and clear plans for long term follow up.\"" } ], "id": "26_0", "question": "What is bariatric surgery?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Russia's defence ministry is investigating whether one of its air strikes in Syria killed the leader of the Islamic State militant group (IS). The ministry said an air strike may have killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and up to 330 other fighters on 28 May. It said the raid had targeted a meeting of the IS military council in the group's de facto capital of Raqqa, in northern Syria. There have been a number of previous reports of Baghdadi's death. This is the first time, however, that Russia has said it may have killed the IS leader. Other media reports have previously claimed he had been killed or critically injured by US-led coalition air strikes. Forces opposed to IS have been closing in on Raqqa in recent weeks. Russia sent an air force contingent to Syria in September 2015 to shore up President Bashar al-Assad, bombing both IS and other rebel groups opposed to the government. Thirty IS field commanders and up to 300 fighters were at the meeting in a southern suburb of Raqqa, the defence ministry said on its Facebook page. Baghdadi and the others had gathered to plan escape routes from the city, the ministry said. The Russian air force launched an air strike between 00:35 and 00:45 local time (21:35 and 21:45 GMT 27 May), after notifying the US military in advance. Su-35 and Su-34 jets were used in the strike, which was preceded by drone reconnaissance flights, the ministry said. According to the Russian defence ministry, which published photos of the site targeted before and after, other IS figures killed in the strike include Emir of Raqqa Abu al-Haji al-Masri, Emir Ibrahim al-Naef al-Hajj and IS security chief Suleiman al-Sawah. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters he was still seeking the facts of what had happened, saying, \"I do not have 100% confirmation of the information about the elimination of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.\" Hours after the air strike, IS media released a video showing extensive damage to buildings and a number of dead people, mostly covered up, blaming \"US air strikes\". The US-led coalition said on Friday it could not confirm whether Baghdadi had been killed. There has been no official comment from Syria's government. Baghdadi's whereabouts have been unknown for some time, although he was believed to be in Mosul in Iraq before a US-led coalition began an effort to reclaim the city in October 2016. He has made only one public appearance in recent years - in a video delivering a sermon in Mosul on 5 July 2014, shortly after IS captured the city. His last audio message was released on 2 November last year. Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying he had information that Baghdadi was in another part of Syria at the end of May and was not killed. In March, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that \"nearly all\" of Baghdadi's deputies had been killed. Baghdadi - a nom de guerre rather than his real name - is believed to have been born in Samarra, north of Baghdad, in 1971. Reports suggest he was a cleric in a mosque in the city around the time of the US-led invasion in 2003. Some believe he was already a militant jihadist during the rule of Saddam Hussein. Others suggest he was radicalised during the four years he was held at Camp Bucca, a US facility in southern Iraq where many al-Qaeda commanders were detained. He emerged as the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, one of the groups that later became Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (IS), in 2010. In October 2011, the US officially designated Baghdadi as a terrorist. It has offered a reward of up to $25m (PS19.6m) for information leading to his capture or death. So far, there has been minimal reaction from online supporters of IS to news of the reported death of the group's leader, BBC Monitoring reports. IS sympathisers typically ignore reports from unofficial IS sources or ridicule them, especially given that Baghdadi's death has been reported several times in the past. One high-profile IS supporter on the messaging app Telegram shared a post denying the news and saying that when an IS leadership figure is killed, the group does not hide it. IS normally does not rush to confirm the death of leadership figures, and would belatedly and sometimes indirectly announce them in general messages or by naming military campaigns after the deceased leader. However, in the case of IS spokesman Abu-Muhammad al-Adnani, the group rushed to announce his death on 30 August 2016, the same day he was targeted in a US air strike in Syria, pre-empting any reports by the military or media.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2923, "answer_start": 1873, "text": "Hours after the air strike, IS media released a video showing extensive damage to buildings and a number of dead people, mostly covered up, blaming \"US air strikes\". The US-led coalition said on Friday it could not confirm whether Baghdadi had been killed. There has been no official comment from Syria's government. Baghdadi's whereabouts have been unknown for some time, although he was believed to be in Mosul in Iraq before a US-led coalition began an effort to reclaim the city in October 2016. He has made only one public appearance in recent years - in a video delivering a sermon in Mosul on 5 July 2014, shortly after IS captured the city. His last audio message was released on 2 November last year. Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying he had information that Baghdadi was in another part of Syria at the end of May and was not killed. In March, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that \"nearly all\" of Baghdadi's deputies had been killed." } ], "id": "27_0", "question": "Does the Russian account stack up?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3696, "answer_start": 2924, "text": "Baghdadi - a nom de guerre rather than his real name - is believed to have been born in Samarra, north of Baghdad, in 1971. Reports suggest he was a cleric in a mosque in the city around the time of the US-led invasion in 2003. Some believe he was already a militant jihadist during the rule of Saddam Hussein. Others suggest he was radicalised during the four years he was held at Camp Bucca, a US facility in southern Iraq where many al-Qaeda commanders were detained. He emerged as the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, one of the groups that later became Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (IS), in 2010. In October 2011, the US officially designated Baghdadi as a terrorist. It has offered a reward of up to $25m (PS19.6m) for information leading to his capture or death." } ], "id": "27_1", "question": "Who is Baghdadi?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Gibraltar has freed an Iranian oil tanker detained last month on suspicion of sanctions-busting, despite a last-minute plea by the US authorities. The UK territory received written assurances from Iran that the ship would not discharge its cargo in Syria. Grace 1, carrying Iranian oil, was stopped by Royal Marines on 4 July, triggering a standoff with Tehran. Gibraltar's chief justice, Anthony Dudley, said no US application was currently before the court. An independent legal body would make a determination on the American request, Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said in a statement. The tanker remained off Gibraltar early on Thursday evening but, according to witnesses speaking to Reuters news agency, its prow had moved around by at least 180 degrees. It was unclear whether this was because of strong sea currents or because it was preparing to leave. The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office said Iran must abide by the assurances it had given that the tanker would not proceed to Syria, which is under EU sanctions. The FCO described Syria as a \"regime that has deployed chemical weapons against its own people\". Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif condemned the US attempt to stop the tanker's release, accusing the Trump administration of attempted \"piracy\". A couple of weeks after the Iranian tanker was stopped, Iran seized a British-flagged tanker, the Stena Impero, in the Gulf and, despite official denials, there has been speculation of a swap if the Grace 1 is freed. Relations between the US and Iran have deteriorated sharply since US President Donald Trump took office in 2017, with the two countries coming close to armed conflict in June. The release of the Grace 1 inevitably raises all sorts of questions but it also points to a possible resolution of the stand-off between Britain and Iran. The Iranians had detained the Stena Impero in apparent retaliation for the seizure of the Grace 1. While Britain insists that the two episodes are in no sense the same - one they argue is legal, the other not - the freeing of the Iranian tanker would seem to be an essential prerequisite for a resolution. But where does this leave the Americans? They made a last-minute attempt to have the vessel turned over to them, but appear not to have lodged a formal legal request. Might they still have time to do this? What grounds would they have for doing so? And how might such a move risk raising tensions in the Gulf further with the Iranian foreign minister already accusing Washington of attempted piracy? It was stopped after the government of Gibraltar suggested it was heading for Syria. About 30 marines were flown from the UK to Gibraltar to help police detain the tanker and its cargo, at the request of the Gibraltarian government. The initial seizure of the tanker sparked a diplomatic crisis between the UK and Iran which escalated when the Stena Impero was seized on 19 July. Last week, the UK announced it would join a US-led taskforce to protect merchant ships travelling through the key shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz. Almost a fifth of the world's oil passes through the narrow strait, which lies off the south coast of Iran. Confirming that the tanker had been \"released from detention\", Mr Picardo explained that the US justice department had requested that a \"new legal procedure for the detention of the vessel should be commenced\". \"That is a matter for our independent Mutual Legal Assistance authorities who will make an objective, legal determination of that request for separate proceedings,\" he said. The Stena Impero, which is British-flagged but Swedish-owned, is anchored in the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, 27 days after being detained. Tehran said Stena Impero had been \"violating international maritime rules\" but the UK called its detention an example of \"state piracy\". Global seafarers' charity Stella Maris said it hoped the release of Grace 1 might in turn lead to the release of the Stena Impero's crew. Iran released photos of the crew aboard the tanker last month, showing cooks preparing meals and crew members being briefed by an Iranian official. Most of the crew of 23 are Indians while the others are of Russian, Latvian or Philippine nationality. Most of the 28 members of the Grace 1's crew are also believed to be Indians. Washington suspects Iran of continuing efforts to develop nuclear weapons, something Tehran has always denied, and also accuses it of seeking to destabilise the Middle East. Last year, the US withdrew from a 2015 deal to limit Iran's nuclear activities and re-imposed sanctions against the country. The UK and other European countries have said they remain committed to the deal. Washington has also blamed Iran for a series of attacks on tankers in waters off Gulf Arab states over the summer, an accusation Tehran denies. In June, Mr Trump was reportedly on the verge of bombing sites in Iran in response to the downing of an American drone.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3179, "answer_start": 2538, "text": "It was stopped after the government of Gibraltar suggested it was heading for Syria. About 30 marines were flown from the UK to Gibraltar to help police detain the tanker and its cargo, at the request of the Gibraltarian government. The initial seizure of the tanker sparked a diplomatic crisis between the UK and Iran which escalated when the Stena Impero was seized on 19 July. Last week, the UK announced it would join a US-led taskforce to protect merchant ships travelling through the key shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz. Almost a fifth of the world's oil passes through the narrow strait, which lies off the south coast of Iran." } ], "id": "28_0", "question": "How was the Iranian tanker seized?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3564, "answer_start": 3180, "text": "Confirming that the tanker had been \"released from detention\", Mr Picardo explained that the US justice department had requested that a \"new legal procedure for the detention of the vessel should be commenced\". \"That is a matter for our independent Mutual Legal Assistance authorities who will make an objective, legal determination of that request for separate proceedings,\" he said." } ], "id": "28_1", "question": "Why did the court not consider the American request?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4309, "answer_start": 3565, "text": "The Stena Impero, which is British-flagged but Swedish-owned, is anchored in the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, 27 days after being detained. Tehran said Stena Impero had been \"violating international maritime rules\" but the UK called its detention an example of \"state piracy\". Global seafarers' charity Stella Maris said it hoped the release of Grace 1 might in turn lead to the release of the Stena Impero's crew. Iran released photos of the crew aboard the tanker last month, showing cooks preparing meals and crew members being briefed by an Iranian official. Most of the crew of 23 are Indians while the others are of Russian, Latvian or Philippine nationality. Most of the 28 members of the Grace 1's crew are also believed to be Indians." } ], "id": "28_2", "question": "What is the situation of the British tanker?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4953, "answer_start": 4310, "text": "Washington suspects Iran of continuing efforts to develop nuclear weapons, something Tehran has always denied, and also accuses it of seeking to destabilise the Middle East. Last year, the US withdrew from a 2015 deal to limit Iran's nuclear activities and re-imposed sanctions against the country. The UK and other European countries have said they remain committed to the deal. Washington has also blamed Iran for a series of attacks on tankers in waters off Gulf Arab states over the summer, an accusation Tehran denies. In June, Mr Trump was reportedly on the verge of bombing sites in Iran in response to the downing of an American drone." } ], "id": "28_3", "question": "Why are US relations with Iran so strained?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Hundreds of health professionals have written to the NI secretary expressing opposition to the liberalisation of NI's abortion laws. The doctors, nurses and midwives say their consciences will not allow them to stay silent on the issue. They want reassurance as \"conscientious objectors\" that they will not have to perform or assist abortions. Unless the NI assembly is restored by 21 October, restrictions on abortion in NI will be drastically reduced. In England, Wales and Scotland, laws that criminalised abortion were changed by the 1967 Abortion Act, which allowed an abortion to be legally carried out up to a 24-week limit. It was also made legal beyond that in cases where the mother's health is threatened, or if there is a substantial risk the baby will have serious disabilities. But these changes did not apply to Northern Ireland, which had its own parliament. Abortion remains illegal unless a woman's life is at risk, or there is a serious risk to her mental or physical health. In the absence of a functioning Stormont government, in July MPs passed the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Act, which contained a provision placing a duty on the government to regulate to provide for access to abortion in Northern Ireland. It comes into effect if the Stormont executive is not restored by 21 October, with regulations required to be in place by the end of March 2020. Those who signed the letter said their concern was for pregnant mothers and their unborn children and, as Christians, it was their firmly held belief that abortion was the \"unjust and violent taking of human life\". One GP told BBC News NI he and more than 700 other healthcare workers had written to Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith and Richard Pengelly, the permanent health secretary, to say they can no longer \"stay silent\" on the issue. Dr Andrew Cupples said he was not aware of any preparation to ensure staff were prepared for the law change and insisted legal protection was essential. He said: \"The crux of this issue, if you are in that situation, is do you have the legal protection [and] moral right to say: 'I am sorry I am not happy with this, but listen, there is a fantastic service that I want to refer you to, which will get you all the help you need.' \"I want the government and the department to back me up on all of that.\" The health department said it was liaising closely with NIO officials on preparations, including the development of guidance for health service professionals and the general public. The Royal College of GPs said \"conscientious objection\" for staff must be protected and included in any guidelines, adding there were still many unanswered questions which could leave staff vulnerable. Its NI chairwoman, Dr Grainne Doran, said the priority was to ensure interim guidance would be made available before October's deadline. Meanwhile, Midwives for Both Lives - a group opposed to this change to the law - has written separately to the Royal College of Midwives, Mr Pengelly and the NIO, saying there was \"currently no conscientious objection in law in NI for midwives... in contrast to our counterparts in mainland UK who are protected under law and under the NMC code\". Amnesty International's Grainne Teggart said she expected the advice from the NIO would include provision for conscientious objection. \"It should only apply to the procedure itself, not pre and post care,\" she said. The Royal College of Midwives said it was \"insisting that... the development of interim guidance and regulation safeguard the right to conscientious objection\". Midwives in NI should be allowed to exercise the same right to conscientious objection that can be utilised by midwives in the rest of the UK, the college told BBC News NI. \"No midwife need be involved in the direct provision of termination services if they have a moral or ethical objection,\" it said. It is our understanding that abortion services will not be routinely available in Northern Ireland until a new legal framework is put into place by 31 March. The UK government has said careful consideration is being given to how the interim period when Northern Ireland's criminal law \"falls away\" is managed. Common sense would suggest that given abortion services have not yet been commissioned in NI, in the interim period health trusts will only be able to provide emergency care. As almost all our questions to the various authorities remain unanswered, we can only look to the paper provided by Julian Smith to the House of Commons earlier this month for guidance. From it we can surmise that in the interim, or limbo period, women from NI in crisis pregnancies or those \"hard cases\" will be signposted to either Scotland or England for terminations. All expenses will be paid and all will happen without fear of criminalisation. Last year, there were 1,053 such cases and 12 were performed in NI because the mother's health was deemed to be at risk. No matter what your stance on abortion - these are momentous times.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5011, "answer_start": 3887, "text": "It is our understanding that abortion services will not be routinely available in Northern Ireland until a new legal framework is put into place by 31 March. The UK government has said careful consideration is being given to how the interim period when Northern Ireland's criminal law \"falls away\" is managed. Common sense would suggest that given abortion services have not yet been commissioned in NI, in the interim period health trusts will only be able to provide emergency care. As almost all our questions to the various authorities remain unanswered, we can only look to the paper provided by Julian Smith to the House of Commons earlier this month for guidance. From it we can surmise that in the interim, or limbo period, women from NI in crisis pregnancies or those \"hard cases\" will be signposted to either Scotland or England for terminations. All expenses will be paid and all will happen without fear of criminalisation. Last year, there were 1,053 such cases and 12 were performed in NI because the mother's health was deemed to be at risk. No matter what your stance on abortion - these are momentous times." } ], "id": "29_0", "question": "What happens next?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Arming more teachers could help tackle gunmen targeting students if there were \"four to five guns to one\", a senior Texan official has said. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick was speaking two days after 10 people were killed at the Santa Fe High School, which had an armed guard. He had previously said schools had \"too many entrances and too many exits\" and their design should be reconsidered. The proposal to arm teachers is not a new idea. After a 14 February school shooting in Florida, US President Donald Trump suggested giving teachers a bonus if they carried guns. But he clarified via Twitter that \"only the best 20% of teachers\" - those with military backgrounds or special training - should be allowed guns. Mr Patrick, a Republican, said the best way to stop a gunman was with a gun. \"But even better than that is four to five guns to one,\" he told CNN. Hours earlier, the police chief of neighbouring Houston said he had hit \"rock bottom\" over failure to enact gun reforms. Chief Art Acevedo wrote on Facebook that he had \"shed tears of sadness, pain and anger\" over the shooting. The shooting was the latest in a series of deadly incidents across the US that have reignited debate about gun control. Police now say eight students and two teachers were killed when another student opened fire in an art class shortly before 08:00 (13:00 GMT) on Friday at the Santa Fe High School. Thirteen others were wounded in the attack, with two in critical condition. Among the dead are a Pakistani exchange student and a substitute teacher. Dimitrios Pagourtzis, 17, has been charged with murder after surrendering to police. He later admitted \"to shooting multiple people\". He allegedly used a shotgun and a revolver taken from his father, who legally owned the weapons. It was the fourth deadliest shooting at a US school in modern history, and the deadliest since a student opened fire in February at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people. The Florida attack spawned a nationwide youth-led campaign for gun control, and a series of proposed changes, including moves to ban so-called bump stocks used in last year's Las Vegas shooting that killed 58 concert-goers. Dan Patrick is a well-known proponent of gun ownership. He has advocated carrying weapons openly and concealed in Texas - and reiterated some of his views on Sunday, too. He told CNN's State of the Union programme that restricting school entrances and arming more teachers could reduce such incidents. \"When you're facing someone who's an active shooter, the best way to take that shooter down is with a gun. But even better than that is four to five guns to one,\" Mr Patrick said. ON ABC's This Week, he blamed a culture of violence. \"We have devalued life, whether it's through abortion, whether it's the breakup of families, through violent movies, and particularly violent video games.\" Challenged over gun ownership that made it so deadly in the US - unlike in other countries that had the same social challenge - Mr Patrick said: \"Guns stop crimes.\" Chief Acevedo runs the police department of America's fourth most populous city, Houston, which lies nearly 40 miles (64 km) north-west of Santa Fe. \"I know some have strong feelings about gun rights but I want you to know I've hit rock bottom and I am not interested in your views as it pertains to this issue. Please do not post anything about guns aren't the problem and there's little we can do,\" Chief Acevedo said in his Facebook post. \"This isn't a time for prayers, and study and inaction, it's a time for prayers, action and the asking of God's forgiveness for our inaction (especially the elected officials that ran to the cameras today, acted in a solemn manner, called for prayers, and will once again do absolutely nothing),\" he added. In just a few hours, his post had received more than 29,000 reactions and 15,590 shares. Chief Acevedo first spoke out about gun control in the aftermath of the Las Vegas shooting last October, and was a prominent figure in Texas's March for Our Lives demonstration following the Florida attack earlier this year. None of the victims has yet been identified by US authorities, but family members of the victims have spoken to media outlets. The embassy of Pakistan in Washington DC confirmed that exchange student Sabika Sheikh, 17, was among the dead. She had been on a special study abroad programme set up by the state department in the aftermath of the 11 September 2001 attacks to bring students from Muslim-majority nations to the US on a cultural exchange. Substitute teacher Cynthia Tisdale was also killed in the attack, her family told US media outlets. Ms Tisdale's brother-in-law John Tisdale described her on Facebook as an \"amazing person\". The LA Times says it has spoken to the mother of another victim, 16-year-old Shana Fisher, who she said had \"had four months of problems from this boy\" - referring to the gunman. \"He kept making advances on her and she repeatedly told him no,\" the mother Sadie Rodriguez said, adding that her daughter finally stood up to him and embarrassed him in class a week before the shooting. The other victims who have been named by US media are: - Jared Black, 17 - student - Christian Garcia, 15 - student - Aaron McLeod, 15 - student - Ann Perkins, 64 - substitute teacher - Angelique Ramirez, 15 - student - Chris Stone, 17- student - Kimberly Vaughan, no age given - student The 17-year-old suspect has been charged with capital murder and aggravated assault of a public servant. Court documents revealed on Saturday that the suspect - who waived his right to remain silent and admitted to the shooting - told police he had spared certain students he liked \"so he could have his story told\". One of his two lawyers, Nicholas Poehl, told Reuters news agency his client was \"very emotional and weirdly nonemotional\". \"There are aspects of it he understands and there are aspects he doesn't understand,\" he added.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3063, "answer_start": 2208, "text": "Dan Patrick is a well-known proponent of gun ownership. He has advocated carrying weapons openly and concealed in Texas - and reiterated some of his views on Sunday, too. He told CNN's State of the Union programme that restricting school entrances and arming more teachers could reduce such incidents. \"When you're facing someone who's an active shooter, the best way to take that shooter down is with a gun. But even better than that is four to five guns to one,\" Mr Patrick said. ON ABC's This Week, he blamed a culture of violence. \"We have devalued life, whether it's through abortion, whether it's the breakup of families, through violent movies, and particularly violent video games.\" Challenged over gun ownership that made it so deadly in the US - unlike in other countries that had the same social challenge - Mr Patrick said: \"Guns stop crimes.\"" } ], "id": "30_0", "question": "What does the lieutenant governor propose?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4126, "answer_start": 3064, "text": "Chief Acevedo runs the police department of America's fourth most populous city, Houston, which lies nearly 40 miles (64 km) north-west of Santa Fe. \"I know some have strong feelings about gun rights but I want you to know I've hit rock bottom and I am not interested in your views as it pertains to this issue. Please do not post anything about guns aren't the problem and there's little we can do,\" Chief Acevedo said in his Facebook post. \"This isn't a time for prayers, and study and inaction, it's a time for prayers, action and the asking of God's forgiveness for our inaction (especially the elected officials that ran to the cameras today, acted in a solemn manner, called for prayers, and will once again do absolutely nothing),\" he added. In just a few hours, his post had received more than 29,000 reactions and 15,590 shares. Chief Acevedo first spoke out about gun control in the aftermath of the Las Vegas shooting last October, and was a prominent figure in Texas's March for Our Lives demonstration following the Florida attack earlier this year." } ], "id": "30_1", "question": "What did the Houston police chief have to say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5974, "answer_start": 5439, "text": "The 17-year-old suspect has been charged with capital murder and aggravated assault of a public servant. Court documents revealed on Saturday that the suspect - who waived his right to remain silent and admitted to the shooting - told police he had spared certain students he liked \"so he could have his story told\". One of his two lawyers, Nicholas Poehl, told Reuters news agency his client was \"very emotional and weirdly nonemotional\". \"There are aspects of it he understands and there are aspects he doesn't understand,\" he added." } ], "id": "30_2", "question": "What has happened to the attacker?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Medical aid charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) says it will no longer take funds from the European Union in protest at its migration policy. MSF singled out the EU's deal with Turkey under which Turkey agreed to take back any migrants who crossed the sea to Greece in smugglers' boats. The number of migrants - many from war-torn Syria - to Europe is at its highest level since World War Two. The charity received $63m (PS44m) from the EU and its members last year. \"MSF announces today that we will no longer take funds from the EU and its Member States in protest at their shameful deterrence policies and their intensification of efforts to push people back from European shores,\" the group said in a statement. Migrant crisis: Migration to Europe explained in seven charts Jerome Oberreit, MSF's international secretary general, told a news conference that the EU-Turkey agreement went against the fundamental principles of providing assistance to people in need. He said the deal did nothing to address the chronic deficiencies of EU policy, but simply outsourced European obligations. \"This is really about Europe's refugee shame,\" he said. MSF said none of its patients would be affected by its decision on funding, and that in the short term it would cover the shortfall from emergency reserves. The organisation receives 90% of its overall funding from private sources, not governments. The EU-Turkey deal came into effect on 20 March. Migrants arriving in Greece are now expected to be sent back to Turkey if they do not apply for asylum or their claim is rejected. For every Syrian migrant sent back to Turkey, one Syrian already in Turkey will be resettled in the EU. A month into the arrangement, EU officials said it had begun to produce results. Go anywhere on Europe's well-trodden migrant trail over the past 18 months and you will see familiar red and white MSF logos on tents, filled with recent arrivals from the Middle East and Africa. MSF says the recently signed EU-Turkey deal - acclaimed as a success by the European Commission - has come at huge human cost. More than 50,000 refugees remain stranded in Greece, housed in old factories, warehouses and tents, often in dire conditions. The EU's relocation policy - the idea that these people will be distributed fairly across the continent - is barely functioning. Desperate, with no prospects, some groups of refugees have even decided to return to Syria, considering they might have a more viable future there. However, it is the long-term effect of the policy that MSF is worried about. Mr Oberreit highlighted Kenya, where the government recently cited European migration policy to justify its decision to close the world's largest refugee camp, Dadaab, in order to send its residents back to Somalia. And it seems the EU is modelling its future migration policy on the Turkey deal too, offering aid funding to several African countries in order to stop the flow of people leaving - what Mr Oberreit calls the EU buying its way out of its responsibilities and values. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that more than 1,011,700 migrants arrived by sea in 2015, though other agencies put that number much higher. Most of the migrants take the relatively short journey from Turkey to Greece, though some leave from Libya, hoping to make it to Italy. In the latest incident at sea, more than 200 migrants were rescued from a sinking ship off the coast of Greece on Thursday. On board was a pregnant Eritrean woman who gave birth shortly after they were rescued. She named the girl \"Gelila\" meaning \"from the ocean\". The Dutch frigate that conducted the rescue is part of Operation Trident run by European border control agency Frontex. MSF also has three vessels patrolling the Mediterranean, which it says have rescued 3,349 people in the course of 27 different rescue operations since April. A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1764, "answer_start": 1400, "text": "The EU-Turkey deal came into effect on 20 March. Migrants arriving in Greece are now expected to be sent back to Turkey if they do not apply for asylum or their claim is rejected. For every Syrian migrant sent back to Turkey, one Syrian already in Turkey will be resettled in the EU. A month into the arrangement, EU officials said it had begun to produce results." } ], "id": "31_0", "question": "Is the deal working?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Making class sizes smaller sounds like a success story. But an international analysis of its impact shows unintended consequences - it often seems to mean lower pay for teachers and there isn't much evidence that it brings better results. Reducing class sizes has been a popular policy in many countries, often supported by parents, politicians and teachers. It has been one of the big trends of the last decade. Class sizes fell on average by 6% between 2006 and 2014 in the lower secondary school years in member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This includes more than 30 of the most developed countries, including most of western Europe, Japan, Australia and the United States. The expectation was that smaller class sizes would mean a more personalised education, with improvements in behaviour and learning. And when all other factors are equal, test results show there are better outcomes from smaller classes. But when it comes to investing in schools there are always trade-offs - and countries can only spend their money once. When education budgets are focused on cutting class sizes, the figures show there are usually reductions elsewhere - in particular in lower increases in teachers' pay. Across a whole education system, smaller class sizes result in a greater number of classes, which require more teachers to lead them, which in turn means higher costs. As well as needing more teachers, cutting class sizes can also mean building more classrooms and expanding schools. For the first time, the OECD has quantified those trade-offs - and their magnitude is surprising. To offset the cost of cutting the average class size by just one student, teachers' salaries would need to decrease by more than $3,000 (PS2,320) per year in more than half of countries in the OECD. In Switzerland and Germany it would mean cutting pay by more than $4,000 (PS3,100) and more than $3,000 (PS2,320) in countries including Austria, Norway, the United States, Finland, Australia, Spain and the Netherlands. Teachers' salaries represent a major part of school spending and any measure that is going to increase the number of teachers will soon have a big impact on education budgets. The trade-offs of reducing class sizes are showing up in the bigger picture. Teachers in the lower secondary school years are now paid only 88% of what other full-time graduate workers earn. If teachers' salaries are not competitive, there will be problems of recruitment and a risk that they will leave the profession for jobs which are more highly compensated. Between 2005 and 2015, teachers' pay across the OECD increased on average by only 6% after inflation. In a third of OECD countries there was a real-terms decrease in pay. There can be other national and economic factors affecting teachers' pay - such as the financial crash and policies on public-sector pay. But cutting class sizes will still mean taking money that could have been spent elsewhere. There could be other options. Teachers could work for longer hours in the classroom and reduce their preparation and non-teaching time. Or there could be a reduction in lesson time. But getting a balance from this would have a heavy price tag. In some countries it would mean cutting students' instruction time by almost 70 hours per year to save the extra cost of recruiting more teachers to reduce class sizes. Is reduced class size worth these costs? There is no clear link between education systems with smaller classes and better learning. Results from the latest Pisa tests show no association between average class size and science performance. In fact, East Asian countries such as Singapore and China often top the rankings both in terms of performance and in having the biggest class sizes. The science results, perhaps unexpectedly, show higher scores for students in larger classes and in schools with higher student-teacher ratios. Perhaps this is a question of degree - and there might need to be a significant reduction in class size to have a positive impact. But it seems whenever high-performing education systems have to make a choice between smaller classes and investments in teachers, they go for the latter. Of course, there could be other political and economic decisions, such as more funding for schools, so that the number of teachers and their salaries could both be increased. But given that budgets are often constrained, this study shows how spending choices can have unanticipated outcomes. Reducing class size is a costly measure, so it's worth considering the benefits against other policy choices. If this was a financial decision how would you get more bang for your buck? How would it compare with spending more on increasing teachers' salaries, investing in teacher training or changing the curriculum? Could cutting class sizes, seen as such a popular policy, come at the expense of the quality of teaching? More from Global education The editor of Global education is Sean Coughlan ([email protected]).", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4938, "answer_start": 3405, "text": "Is reduced class size worth these costs? There is no clear link between education systems with smaller classes and better learning. Results from the latest Pisa tests show no association between average class size and science performance. In fact, East Asian countries such as Singapore and China often top the rankings both in terms of performance and in having the biggest class sizes. The science results, perhaps unexpectedly, show higher scores for students in larger classes and in schools with higher student-teacher ratios. Perhaps this is a question of degree - and there might need to be a significant reduction in class size to have a positive impact. But it seems whenever high-performing education systems have to make a choice between smaller classes and investments in teachers, they go for the latter. Of course, there could be other political and economic decisions, such as more funding for schools, so that the number of teachers and their salaries could both be increased. But given that budgets are often constrained, this study shows how spending choices can have unanticipated outcomes. Reducing class size is a costly measure, so it's worth considering the benefits against other policy choices. If this was a financial decision how would you get more bang for your buck? How would it compare with spending more on increasing teachers' salaries, investing in teacher training or changing the curriculum? Could cutting class sizes, seen as such a popular policy, come at the expense of the quality of teaching?" } ], "id": "32_0", "question": "Better results?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Three Palestinians have reportedly been killed in Gaza, as Israel carried out dozens of air strikes in response to a barrage of rocket fire by militants. Gaza health officials said a pregnant woman and her daughter, aged one, were killed in the Jaafari area. A Hamas militant also died in the north. At least seven civilians were injured by rocket fire in southern Israel. The violence came as the UN and Egypt tried to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which dominates Gaza. UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov said he was \"deeply alarmed\". \"Our collective efforts have prevented the situation from exploding until now. If the current escalation, however, is not contained immediately, the situation can rapidly deteriorate with devastating consequences for all people,\" he warned. This is the third serious flare-up in violence in the past month. On Monday, two militants were killed after an Israeli tank shelled a Hamas border post in northern Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the tank had responded to shots fired at soldiers from the post. But Hamas said its fighters had been taking part in a live-fire exercise and that Israel would pay for their deaths. On Wednesday afternoon, the IDF said militants had fired shots at civilians constructing an underground barrier along the border fence, damaging a vehicle. In response, a tank targeted a Hamas post in northern Gaza, it added. After sunset, militants in Gaza launched rockets and mortars at Sderot and other towns in southern Israel, triggering sirens and sending civilians running for shelters. The IDF said that approximately 180 projectiles were fired towards Israeli territory in total overnight. The Iron Dome aerial defence system intercepted more than 30 of them, while most of the others landed in open fields, causing no damage, it added. But some hit houses, cars, factories and a playground. A Thai woman was seriously injured when a rocket hit her home in the Eshkol Region Council, the Times of Israel said. A man was also lightly injured. Five Israeli civilians were reportedly wounded elsewhere, while dozens were treated for shock. The IDF said it responded by carrying out air strikes on more than 150 \"military and strategic targets\" in Gaza, including Hamas compounds, training camps, a weapons storage facility, a naval complex, a building site being used to make weapons and tunnel components, and two tunnels along the Gaza coast. Gaza's health ministry said pregnant 23-year-old Inas Khammash and her 18-month daughter Bayan were killed in one of the air strikes. Her husband was reportedly injured. At least 12 other people were injured in other strikes, two of them critically, according to the ministry. The IDF said its air strikes had represented a \"significant blow to Hamas\" and warned the group that it would \"bear the consequences for its terrorist activities against the citizens of Israel\". Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri tweeted that Israel bore \"full responsibility for the current round of escalation\", and called on the international community to \"shoulder its responsibilities towards Israel's aggression and siege\". A Palestinian official at a joint command centre for militant factions in Gaza told Reuters news agency that they had been \"responding to crimes\" by Israel - an apparent reference to the incident on Monday. But he added that this round of fighting was now \"over as far as we are concerned\". The calm only lasted a few hours, however, before a long-range Grad rocket landed in an open area on the outskirts of the southern Israeli city of Beersheba - setting off sirens there for the first time since the last Gaza war in 2014. Shortly afterwards, an Israeli air strike hit a multi-storey cultural building in Gaza City, reducing it to rubble and injuring 18 people, Gaza health officials said. There was no immediate confirmation from the IDF, but Israeli media said the building was believed to have served as a Hamas headquarters. There has been an upsurge in violence since the end of March. More than 160 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces - most during protests along the border at which thousands have expressed their support for the declared right of Palestinian refugees to return to their ancestral homes in what is now Israel. Human rights groups have accused Israeli troops of using excessive force at the protests, but the military said they only opened fire in self-defence or on people trying to infiltrate its territory. One Israeli soldier has been shot dead by a Palestinian sniper during the same period, while incendiary devices attached to balloons and kites launched by Palestinians have sparked hundreds of fires in southern Israel. Correction 23 October 2018: This article was amended on the day of publication after an earlier version reported incorrectly an IDF statement about an attack on an engineering vehicle.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1412, "answer_start": 797, "text": "This is the third serious flare-up in violence in the past month. On Monday, two militants were killed after an Israeli tank shelled a Hamas border post in northern Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the tank had responded to shots fired at soldiers from the post. But Hamas said its fighters had been taking part in a live-fire exercise and that Israel would pay for their deaths. On Wednesday afternoon, the IDF said militants had fired shots at civilians constructing an underground barrier along the border fence, damaging a vehicle. In response, a tank targeted a Hamas post in northern Gaza, it added." } ], "id": "33_0", "question": "What triggered the escalation?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2715, "answer_start": 1413, "text": "After sunset, militants in Gaza launched rockets and mortars at Sderot and other towns in southern Israel, triggering sirens and sending civilians running for shelters. The IDF said that approximately 180 projectiles were fired towards Israeli territory in total overnight. The Iron Dome aerial defence system intercepted more than 30 of them, while most of the others landed in open fields, causing no damage, it added. But some hit houses, cars, factories and a playground. A Thai woman was seriously injured when a rocket hit her home in the Eshkol Region Council, the Times of Israel said. A man was also lightly injured. Five Israeli civilians were reportedly wounded elsewhere, while dozens were treated for shock. The IDF said it responded by carrying out air strikes on more than 150 \"military and strategic targets\" in Gaza, including Hamas compounds, training camps, a weapons storage facility, a naval complex, a building site being used to make weapons and tunnel components, and two tunnels along the Gaza coast. Gaza's health ministry said pregnant 23-year-old Inas Khammash and her 18-month daughter Bayan were killed in one of the air strikes. Her husband was reportedly injured. At least 12 other people were injured in other strikes, two of them critically, according to the ministry." } ], "id": "33_1", "question": "What happened overnight?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3974, "answer_start": 2716, "text": "The IDF said its air strikes had represented a \"significant blow to Hamas\" and warned the group that it would \"bear the consequences for its terrorist activities against the citizens of Israel\". Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri tweeted that Israel bore \"full responsibility for the current round of escalation\", and called on the international community to \"shoulder its responsibilities towards Israel's aggression and siege\". A Palestinian official at a joint command centre for militant factions in Gaza told Reuters news agency that they had been \"responding to crimes\" by Israel - an apparent reference to the incident on Monday. But he added that this round of fighting was now \"over as far as we are concerned\". The calm only lasted a few hours, however, before a long-range Grad rocket landed in an open area on the outskirts of the southern Israeli city of Beersheba - setting off sirens there for the first time since the last Gaza war in 2014. Shortly afterwards, an Israeli air strike hit a multi-storey cultural building in Gaza City, reducing it to rubble and injuring 18 people, Gaza health officials said. There was no immediate confirmation from the IDF, but Israeli media said the building was believed to have served as a Hamas headquarters." } ], "id": "33_2", "question": "What are the two sides saying?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Human remains have been found in the hunt for 10 US sailors missing after their destroyer collided with a tanker near Singapore, the navy says. The discovery came when divers were sent down to search inside the USS John S McCain, now berthed at Singapore's Changi naval base. The collision with a Liberian-flagged ship happened before dawn on Monday as the US vessel made a routine port call. The US has since ordered a worldwide \"operational pause\" of its navy fleet. It was the fourth crash involving a US Navy ship in a year, and the second in the past two months. The collision ripped open the port side of the US vessel, flooding parts of the ship including crew compartments. Admiral Scott Swift, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, said divers \"were able to locate some remains in those sealed compartments during their search today\". The navy was also examining whether a body found by the Malaysian navy was one of the missing sailors, he said. Ships, equipment and aircraft from the American, Indonesian, Malaysian and Singapore navies have been involved in the search for the missing sailors. The USS John S McCain was east of Singapore when the collision occurred. It was reported before dawn at 05:24 local time on Monday (21:24 GMT on Sunday). The destroyer sustained damage to her port side, which is the left-hand side of the vessel facing forward. Five sailors were injured, four of whom were medically evacuated to a Singapore hospital. The tanker it collided with, Alnic MC, sustained damage to a tank near the front of the ship 7m (23ft) above the waterline, but none of its crew were injured and there were no oil spills. The Alnic MC, carrying oil from Taiwan to Singapore, is currently at the Raffles Reserved Anchorage in Singapore. The cause of the collision is not yet known, but Navy Admiral John Richardson, the chief of naval operations, has ordered fleet commanders to stop what they are doing for a day or two over the next week to \"assess and review with their commands the fundamental practice to safe and effective operations\". He has also ordered a more comprehensive review \"to find the contributing factors and root causes of the incidents\". \"My hope is that we will learn, continue to improve in the short term, validating that we are sound on the fundamentals and if not then we'll take action to correct that, and then look at broader, more systemic issues that we may find through this comprehensive review,\" he said in a statement. He also said on Twitter that he would not rule out the possibility of some kind of outside interference or cyber-attack being behind the collision. This is the fourth time in a year that a US navy vessel has been involved in an accident. Just two months ago, seven US sailors were killed when the USS Fitzgerald collided with a container ship in Japanese waters near the port city of Yokosuka. Those who died were found in flooded berths on board the ship after the collision caused a gash under the warship's waterline. The US Navy said last week that about a dozen sailors would be disciplined, and the commanding officer and other senior crew would be taken off the ship. In May, a guided missile cruiser collided with a South Korean fishing vessel, while in August last year a submarine collided with an offshore support vessel. USS John S McCain - Named after US senator John McCain's father and grandfather, both of whom were admirals in the US Navy, it is also known by its nickname Big Bad John - Operating from the US naval base in Yokosuka in Japan, it is part of the US 7th Fleet patrolling the Pacific - Has a crew of more than 300 sailors and officers. and a full displacement of 9,000 tons - In May, it successfully passed a navy inspection for mission readiness at sea Alnic MC - Oil and chemical transporting tanker - Built 2008, registered in Liberia - Owned by Greece based Stealth Maritime Corporation - Heading from Pyeongtaek, South Korea en route from Taiwan to Singapore Sources: US Navy, MarineTraffic.com, AFP", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1755, "answer_start": 1103, "text": "The USS John S McCain was east of Singapore when the collision occurred. It was reported before dawn at 05:24 local time on Monday (21:24 GMT on Sunday). The destroyer sustained damage to her port side, which is the left-hand side of the vessel facing forward. Five sailors were injured, four of whom were medically evacuated to a Singapore hospital. The tanker it collided with, Alnic MC, sustained damage to a tank near the front of the ship 7m (23ft) above the waterline, but none of its crew were injured and there were no oil spills. The Alnic MC, carrying oil from Taiwan to Singapore, is currently at the Raffles Reserved Anchorage in Singapore." } ], "id": "34_0", "question": "What do we know about the collision?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2620, "answer_start": 1756, "text": "The cause of the collision is not yet known, but Navy Admiral John Richardson, the chief of naval operations, has ordered fleet commanders to stop what they are doing for a day or two over the next week to \"assess and review with their commands the fundamental practice to safe and effective operations\". He has also ordered a more comprehensive review \"to find the contributing factors and root causes of the incidents\". \"My hope is that we will learn, continue to improve in the short term, validating that we are sound on the fundamentals and if not then we'll take action to correct that, and then look at broader, more systemic issues that we may find through this comprehensive review,\" he said in a statement. He also said on Twitter that he would not rule out the possibility of some kind of outside interference or cyber-attack being behind the collision." } ], "id": "34_1", "question": "What about the 'operational pause'?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3305, "answer_start": 2621, "text": "This is the fourth time in a year that a US navy vessel has been involved in an accident. Just two months ago, seven US sailors were killed when the USS Fitzgerald collided with a container ship in Japanese waters near the port city of Yokosuka. Those who died were found in flooded berths on board the ship after the collision caused a gash under the warship's waterline. The US Navy said last week that about a dozen sailors would be disciplined, and the commanding officer and other senior crew would be taken off the ship. In May, a guided missile cruiser collided with a South Korean fishing vessel, while in August last year a submarine collided with an offshore support vessel." } ], "id": "34_2", "question": "What happened in the previous collisions?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "South Korean leader Moon Jae-in is either a diplomatic genius or a communist set on destroying his country and US President Donald Trump is either a master of brinkmanship or a pawn in a more devious game - depending on who you speak to. But it is the other actor in this saga, Kim Jong-un, the only one who has yet to make a direct statement, who may just be the most significant player in this most extraordinary of political gambles. From the moment he extended an apparent olive branch to the South in his new year message to the cordial delegations to Pyeongchang for the Winter Olympics, it became clear that Kim Jong-un had mastered the most sophisticated crafts of propaganda. Some will view his personal invitation to Mr Trump to hold talks with him - as well as the commitment to freeze further nuclear tests - as the real diplomatic masterstroke after a year that was unprecedented for the level of naked hostility the US and the North bared toward one another. But the risk here belongs to both Moon Jae-in and Donald Trump. In a situation where neither can claim sole mastery of the narrative, without a clear exit strategy, and when there are so many definitions for both success and failure, a lot is at stake. Mr Moon is viewed by his supporters as the negotiator-in-chief who has now skilfully managed to get Mr Kim to at least talk about getting rid of nuclear weapons. He is the one who spotted the opportunity during the North Korean leader's speech in January - which offered a glimmer of hope that the reclusive state was willing to engage with the South - and grabbed it with both hands. The dizzying level of diplomacy and a frenzy of visits between North and South has now delivered - it seems. \"People are calling this the North Korean charm offensive, I actually think this is a South Korean charm offensive. This is something President Moon Jae-in clearly wanted,\" John Delury from Yonsei University said to me even before the talks were announced. Mr Moon knew his envoys would have to extract the word \"denuclearisation\" from Mr Kim when they visited Pyongyang. He also knew having two of his top level government ministers looking cosy with the North Korean leader would not go down well in Washington or Tokyo. But it was worth the risk. The US would not have considered talking to the communist state without that meeting. His chosen delegates got what they needed. The South Korean leader is also attempting the role of honest broker, handling Mr Trump and Mr Kim at the same time. He is choosing his words carefully and keeping his cards close to his chest while flattering those who respond to the spotlight. In his New Year's address he said Mr Trump deserved \"huge credit\" for talks between the two Koreas, knowing it would please him. He is also using language that will reassure a concerned Republican administration. The language of the South Korean statement announcing the talks was also fulsome in its admiration for Trump's handling of the situation leading up to this moment. Sanctions will stay in place, Mr Moon had said earlier, and Mr Trump has now confirmed that. But everybody knows it wasn't always like that. Just six months ago Mr Trump was promising to rain down \"fire and fury like the world has never seen\" on North Korea if it dare threaten the US. Prof Haksoon Paik, lead researcher at the Sejong Institute, said that threat level felt \"totally unprecedented\". \"President Moon was very much concerned about nuclear threat of war. Kim Jong-un was in the same situation. We were hearing from the likes of the US Senator Lindsay Graham that lives will be lost over here. Donald Trump's unorthodox and unstable leadership had both Korean leaders worried about the potential of military options.\" The US has always maintained that the permanent denuclearisation of North Korea is the endgame. Even with all the surprises up to this point, few believe Mr Kim would agree to that so if they don't achieve that what options does Trump have? So is Moon Jae-in - and indeed Donald Trump - being manipulated by a North Korea which has fooled the world before? \"By dangling before the US once again 'denuclearization of the Korean peninsula' and 'moratorium on nuclear and missile tests', Kim seeks to weaken sanctions, pre-empt US military pre-emption, and condition the world into accepting North Korea as a legitimate nuclear state,\" says Prof Lee Sung-yoon from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. For Mr Trump this could be about one of the boldest and most historic moves a US leader has made in foreign relations. If this gamble works out, Mr Trump could credit himself as the president who sorted out North Korea. His administration has had very few victories, despite promising his voters there would \"so much winning.\" He believes his \"maximum pressure\" strategy and his work to get China on side and help squeeze Pyongyang economically is working. Reporters say he casually mentioned in the White House briefing room that he hoped they would give him credit for Kim Jong-un's offer. His voters certainly will. But meeting Mr Kim risks treating the communist leader as an equal. It could be a PR disaster. The date set is also only a few months away - a short time frame to achieve diplomatic goals with a leader he mocked as \"little rocket man\" just a few months ago. Prof Robert E Kelly at Busan University in South Korea tweeted: \"Trump doesn't study or even read. He tends to fly wildly off script. And May means there's almost no time for all the staff prep necessary.\" Pyongyang has been playing this game for decades. Mr Trump is new to it. He may see a big win on the horizon, but his Art of the Deal book will not be the guide he needs to deal with Kim Jong-un. For Mr Moon this is about history and it is also personal. He played a part in previous attempts to negotiate with North Korea as chief of staff to President Roh Moo-hyun when he met Mr Kim's father, Kim Jong-il, in 2007. That was the last time the leaders of the two Koreas held a summit. A satellite launch by Pyongyang ended the talks. By then around $4.5bn of aid had been sent North during the policy of engagement. Critics believe that money helped to accelerate the weapons programme. Having failed once before, Mr Moon is trying to complete the work he started, says Duyeon Kim, a senior fellow at the Korean Peninsula Forum. \"He's basically following the same playbook as his two liberal predecessors. It's exactly the kind of thing he would want to pick up and continue.\" As a son of refugees from the North, Mr Moon is also aware of the effects of conflict on the peninsula. His parents fled North Korea aboard a UN supply ship in 1950 at the start of the Korean War alongside thousands of other refugees. He told reporters during his election campaign: \"My father fled from the North, hating communism. I myself hate the communist North Korean system. That doesn't mean I should let the people in the North suffer under an oppressive regime.\" President Moon has acknowledged there are obstacles ahead. He is managing expectations and so much can go wrong. Duyeon Kim believes there is a high probability that at the end of this negotiating process, all parties will fail, and North Korea will decide it wants to keep its nuclear weapons. And yet... \"You just don't know. I don't think it's ever a lost cause, in spite of all the doubts and scepticism all parties should go in with clear eyes, but negotiate hard.\" President Moon's approval ratings took a hit during the Winter Olympics after he integrated the women's hockey team with players from the North and met a general from Pyongyang who had been accused of masterminding deadly attacks on South Koreans, though they have since rebounded. He may suffer politically if this fails but maybe for him, this is not about scoring political points. This is what he told Time magazine last year when he was presidential candidate: \"My mother is the only one [of her family] who fled to the South. [She] is 90 years old. Her younger sister is still in the North alive. My mother's last wish is to see her again.\" These talks are a huge gamble with a communist state which is hard to read. But if, just if, he helps pull it off it may reduce the threat of nuclear war and he could win himself a Nobel peace prize. If all fails, it is back to brinkmanship.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5752, "answer_start": 3115, "text": "But everybody knows it wasn't always like that. Just six months ago Mr Trump was promising to rain down \"fire and fury like the world has never seen\" on North Korea if it dare threaten the US. Prof Haksoon Paik, lead researcher at the Sejong Institute, said that threat level felt \"totally unprecedented\". \"President Moon was very much concerned about nuclear threat of war. Kim Jong-un was in the same situation. We were hearing from the likes of the US Senator Lindsay Graham that lives will be lost over here. Donald Trump's unorthodox and unstable leadership had both Korean leaders worried about the potential of military options.\" The US has always maintained that the permanent denuclearisation of North Korea is the endgame. Even with all the surprises up to this point, few believe Mr Kim would agree to that so if they don't achieve that what options does Trump have? So is Moon Jae-in - and indeed Donald Trump - being manipulated by a North Korea which has fooled the world before? \"By dangling before the US once again 'denuclearization of the Korean peninsula' and 'moratorium on nuclear and missile tests', Kim seeks to weaken sanctions, pre-empt US military pre-emption, and condition the world into accepting North Korea as a legitimate nuclear state,\" says Prof Lee Sung-yoon from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. For Mr Trump this could be about one of the boldest and most historic moves a US leader has made in foreign relations. If this gamble works out, Mr Trump could credit himself as the president who sorted out North Korea. His administration has had very few victories, despite promising his voters there would \"so much winning.\" He believes his \"maximum pressure\" strategy and his work to get China on side and help squeeze Pyongyang economically is working. Reporters say he casually mentioned in the White House briefing room that he hoped they would give him credit for Kim Jong-un's offer. His voters certainly will. But meeting Mr Kim risks treating the communist leader as an equal. It could be a PR disaster. The date set is also only a few months away - a short time frame to achieve diplomatic goals with a leader he mocked as \"little rocket man\" just a few months ago. Prof Robert E Kelly at Busan University in South Korea tweeted: \"Trump doesn't study or even read. He tends to fly wildly off script. And May means there's almost no time for all the staff prep necessary.\" Pyongyang has been playing this game for decades. Mr Trump is new to it. He may see a big win on the horizon, but his Art of the Deal book will not be the guide he needs to deal with Kim Jong-un." } ], "id": "35_0", "question": "Manipulated by North Korea?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Five suspects have appeared in court in France charged with terror offences in relation to the Nice lorry attack in which 84 people were killed. The four men and one woman, aged between 22 and 40, are accused of helping prepare the terror attack, claimed by so-called Islamic State. One suspect returned to the scene of the attack the next day to film the aftermath, prosecutors say. France is sending artillery to Iraq next month for the fight against IS. The move was announced by President Francois Hollande on Friday. France has been conducting air strikes against the group and providing military training but is not committing ground troops. The driver of the lorry, Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, drove into a crowd celebrating the Bastille Day holiday on 14 July. He received logistical support for the attack from the five suspects, prosecutor Francois Molins said, and had planned the attack for several months. Three of the suspects, identified as Franco-Tunisians Ramzi A and Mohamed Oualid G, and a Tunisian named Chokri C, were charged as accomplices in \"murder by a group with terror links\". An Albanian man named as Artan and a women who is a French-Albanian dual national, identified as Enkeldja, are suspected of providing Lahouaiej-Bouhlel with a pistol and were charged with \"breaking the law on weapons in relation to a terrorist group\". All five will be held in custody, Mr Molins said. Like Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, none of those detained were known to French intelligence prior to the attack, although Ramzi A had previous convictions for drugs and petty crime, Mr Molins said. He said information from Lahouaiej-Bouhlel's phone showed searches and photos that indicated he had been studying an attack since 2015. IS said Lahouaiej-Bouhlel was one of its \"soldiers\" - but the lorry driver had not been on any French police watch list. As the Bastille Day crowd enjoyed festivities on Nice's Promenade des Anglais, Lahouaiej-Bouhlel careered his large white lorry towards them. Two police officers opened fire when he mounted the kerb, but he simply accelerated and then zigzagged for up to 2km (1.25 miles), leaving a trail of carnage. Police finally managed to bring the lorry to a halt, raking the driver's cabin with gunfire and killing Lahouaiej-Bouhlel. More than 300 people were wounded in the attack. France has extended its state of emergency until the end of January 2017. It gives the police extra powers to carry out searches and to place people under house arrest. The government has also launched an inquiry into police actions in Nice on 14 July, amid claims that there were too few police to block a lorry that killed 84 people. Just one local police car was on duty at the point where the lorry careered onto the pedestrian promenade, the daily Liberation reported. The local police had neither enough time nor firepower to stop the lorry, it said. That version of events was disputed by Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve. He said Liberation was referring to a separate, local police roadblock that was diverting traffic. The main roadblock at the start of the promenade was manned by six national police officers, who were \"the first to confront the deadly lorry\", he said, adding that two police cars of the national police had been stationed there.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3283, "answer_start": 2491, "text": "The government has also launched an inquiry into police actions in Nice on 14 July, amid claims that there were too few police to block a lorry that killed 84 people. Just one local police car was on duty at the point where the lorry careered onto the pedestrian promenade, the daily Liberation reported. The local police had neither enough time nor firepower to stop the lorry, it said. That version of events was disputed by Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve. He said Liberation was referring to a separate, local police roadblock that was diverting traffic. The main roadblock at the start of the promenade was manned by six national police officers, who were \"the first to confront the deadly lorry\", he said, adding that two police cars of the national police had been stationed there." } ], "id": "36_0", "question": "Too few police?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Donald Trump has responded to a guilty plea by his former national security adviser Michael Flynn, saying Mr Flynn's actions as a member of his transition team \"were lawful\". Mr Flynn has entered a plea deal and agreed to co-operate with an inquiry into alleged collusion with Russia. The deal, for a lesser charge than he might have faced, prompted speculation that he has incriminating evidence. The president wrote on Twitter on Saturday that he had \"nothing to hide\". Mr Flynn is co-operating with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading an investigation into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia ahead of the 2016 election. On Saturday, a day after Mr Flynn's indictment, it emerged that a veteran FBI agent had been dismissed from Mr Mueller's team after the discovery that he had sent anti-Trump text messages. Peter Strzok was removed from the investigation in summer, a spokesman for the special counsel's office, told the New York Times. Saturday was a momentous day for Mr Trump, after his sweeping tax reform bill finally scraped through the senate in the early hours of the morning with 51 votes to 49. But as he left the White House hours after the vote he was quick to address Michael Flynn's admission the day before of lying to the FBI. \"What has been shown is no collusion, no collusion. There has been absolutely no collusion. So we're very happy,\" he told reporters. In denying that Mr Flynn had acted unlawfully as part of his transition team, Mr Trump appeared in his tweet to admit that he knew the former general had lied to the FBI before he fired him in February - contradicting the president's account at the time. Analysts say if Mr Trump knew that Mr Flynn had lied to the FBI, at a time when he appeared to pressure then-FBI director James Comey to drop the agency's investigation into the former general, it could amount to obstruction of justice by the president. Matthew Miller, a former Obama administration Justice Department official, said in a tweet: \"Oh my god, he just admitted to obstruction of justice. If Trump knew Flynn lied to the FBI when he asked Comey to let it go, then there is your case.\" Sources close to the president told the Washington Post that the tweet had been drafted by Mr Trump's personal lawyer, John Dowd, who later apologised and said he should have been more careful with his language. The White House has yet to comment. Meanwhile, the New York Times reported that it had obtained internal emails sent by Mr Trump's transition team that disputed the White House assertion that Mr Flynn acted alone in his contacts with Russian officials. In one email quoted by the paper, a senior adviser appeared to say that Russia had \"just thrown the U.S.A. election to him\", referring to Mr Trump. A White House lawyer told the paper that the adviser, KT McFarland, had meant only that the Democrats were portraying it that way. Under the terms of the plea deal with Mr Mueller, Mr Flynn admitted making false statements to the FBI, a significantly lesser charge than he might have faced for illegally dealing with Russian officials. Analysts say the deal suggests that the former general has evidence implicating one or more senior members of the Trump administration. Mr Flynn has admitted lying about his contact with the Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak in December 2016 - after Mr Trump was elected but before he became president. The charging documents against Mr Flynn state that he was directed to make contact with Russian officials by a \"very senior member\" of the Trump transition team. Several US news organisations report the very senior official now under the spotlight is Jared Kushner - Mr Trump's adviser and son-in-law. US intelligence agencies say Russia's President Vladimir Putin directed a state effort to influence the US election in favour of Mr Trump. Mr Trump has repeatedly denied that his campaign or transition team colluded in Russian actions. Mr Flynn was questioned by the FBI shortly after Mr Trump took office in January about his December meetings with Mr Kislyak. He was forced to resign in February, 23 days into his job. According to the FBI's statement of offence signed by Mr Flynn, he discussed Russia's response to US sanctions as well as a UN Security Council resolution on Israel, at the direction of the Trump team. Under the Logan Act it is illegal for a private US citizen, as Mr Flynn was during the transition period, to conduct foreign affairs without the permission or involvement of the US government. The charge of making false statements normally carries up to five years in prison, but under the terms of his plea deal Mr Flynn faces a lighter sentence of only up to six months, court filings show. The administration has sought to distance itself from Mr Flynn. White House lawyer Ty Cobb said on Friday: \"Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr Flynn.\" Michael Flynn previously served in the Obama administration before being fired. Mr Obama reportedly advised his successor not to hire the former general, but Mr Trump appointed him to one of the most senior positions in the country. Mr Flynn is not the first former Trump official to be charged. In October, Mr Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, and his business associate Rick Gates were accused of conspiring to defraud the US in dealings with Ukraine (both deny the charges). Another ex-aide, George Papadopoulos, has also pleaded guilty to making false statements to FBI agents.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5518, "answer_start": 3951, "text": "Mr Flynn was questioned by the FBI shortly after Mr Trump took office in January about his December meetings with Mr Kislyak. He was forced to resign in February, 23 days into his job. According to the FBI's statement of offence signed by Mr Flynn, he discussed Russia's response to US sanctions as well as a UN Security Council resolution on Israel, at the direction of the Trump team. Under the Logan Act it is illegal for a private US citizen, as Mr Flynn was during the transition period, to conduct foreign affairs without the permission or involvement of the US government. The charge of making false statements normally carries up to five years in prison, but under the terms of his plea deal Mr Flynn faces a lighter sentence of only up to six months, court filings show. The administration has sought to distance itself from Mr Flynn. White House lawyer Ty Cobb said on Friday: \"Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr Flynn.\" Michael Flynn previously served in the Obama administration before being fired. Mr Obama reportedly advised his successor not to hire the former general, but Mr Trump appointed him to one of the most senior positions in the country. Mr Flynn is not the first former Trump official to be charged. In October, Mr Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, and his business associate Rick Gates were accused of conspiring to defraud the US in dealings with Ukraine (both deny the charges). Another ex-aide, George Papadopoulos, has also pleaded guilty to making false statements to FBI agents." } ], "id": "37_0", "question": "What did Flynn do wrong?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Cramming all your recommended weekly exercise into one or two weekend sessions is enough to produce important health benefits, a study suggests. And being active without managing 150 minutes of moderate activity a week was still enough to reduce the risk of an early death by a third. The findings are based on a survey of about 64,000 adults aged over 40 in England and Scotland. Health experts said purposeful exercise was key to better health. Researchers from Loughborough University and the University of Sydney analysed data on the time people spent doing exercise and their health over 18 years. They found that no matter how often people exercised in a week or for how long, the health benefits were similar as long as they met the activity guidelines. This was good news for people with a busy lifestyle who turned into \"weekend warriors\" in order to fit in all their recommended physical activity, they said. Compared with those who didn't exercise at all, people who did some kind of physical activity - whether regularly or irregularly - showed a lower risk of dying from cancer and from cardiovascular disease (CVD), which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. \"Weekend warriors\", who did all their exercise on one or two days of the week, were found to lower their risk of dying from CVD by 41% and cancer by 18%, compared with the inactive. Those who exercised regularly on three or more days per week reduced their risks by 41% and 21%. Even the \"insufficiently active\" lowered their risk by a significant amount - 37% and 14%, the researchers said, writing in an article published online in JAMA Internal Medicine. People aged 19-64 should try to do: - at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, such as cycling or fast walking every week, and - strength exercises (such as lifting weights) on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles Or - 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, such as running or a game of singles tennis every week, and - strength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles Or - a mix of moderate and vigorous aerobic activity every week, such as two 30-minute runs plus 30 minutes of fast walking, and - strength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles Source: NHS Choices and Public Health England What do you think? Join the debate on the BBC Lifestyle & Health Facebook page. Dr Gary O'Donovan, study author and expert in physical activity and health, from Loughborough University, said the key was doing exercise that was \"purposeful, and done with the intention of improving health\". \"You are not going to fidget or stand your way to health,\" he said. He added that a commitment to an active lifestyle was usually accompanied by other healthy lifestyle options, which made a positive difference regardless of body mass index (BMI). But Dr O'Donovan said no-one yet knew the best way of meeting the weekly recommended exercise total. The study cannot show a direct link between physical activity and a reduction in health risks in individuals. But extensive research has shown that exercise and a healthy diet can reduce the risk of a range of diseases - such as cancer, heart disease and type-2 diabetes - as well as helping to control weight, blood pressure and reduce symptoms of depression. Justin Varney, national lead for adult health and wellbeing at Public Health England (PHE), said: \"The maximum health benefits are achieved from 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. \"However, every little counts and just 10 minutes of physical activity will provide health benefits.\" PHE's How Are You quiz gives you a health score and links to free local information, apps and tools to improve that score.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2396, "answer_start": 1633, "text": "People aged 19-64 should try to do: - at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, such as cycling or fast walking every week, and - strength exercises (such as lifting weights) on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles Or - 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, such as running or a game of singles tennis every week, and - strength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles Or - a mix of moderate and vigorous aerobic activity every week, such as two 30-minute runs plus 30 minutes of fast walking, and - strength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles Source: NHS Choices and Public Health England What do you think? Join the debate on the BBC Lifestyle & Health Facebook page." } ], "id": "38_0", "question": "How much physical activity should I do?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Mention Nottingham in a conversation and for many people the first thing that comes to mind is Robin Hood. I've had the Disney movie song \"Robin Hood and Little John walking through the forest...\" stuck in my head since visiting the city. But the story being told here today is very different from the fable of old. Instead of stealing from the rich to give to the poor, it's students hoping to get rich who are flocking to this city two hours north of London. Nottingham Business School - which is part of Nottingham Trent University - has seen a 25% rise in interest from international students this year. That's believed to be partially due to an unlikely source: Donald Trump. While many Americans might have voted for the president partly because they valued his business acumen, an unlikely casualty of his immigration policies is said to be American business schools. \"One of the things we noticed post the [presidential] election in the US last November was a change in students' expressed intent to study in the US,\" says Sangeet Chowfla, the president and chief executive of the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC). The GMAC is the non-profit organisation that administers the GMAT, a standardised test most students around the world take to get into business school. It published a survey of 1,000 global business schools this month, which found that international student interest in American business schools had declined by nearly two-thirds since the 2016 presidential election. Meanwhile, international student interest in programs in Canada, for example, has increased by nearly the same amount. The same goes for programs in continental Europe and the UK. While that trend has been happening for some time, Mr Chowfla says he was surprised by the steep drop. \"The magnitude of the change was exaggerated this year,\" he says. Part of the decline was due to student concerns about immigration policies - most notably, the ability to get an H1B visa after graduating. The H1B is typically given to \"skilled\" immigrants to the US, like computer programmers, and 85,000 visas are awarded each year via a lottery system. It is often used by companies in Silicon Valley to bring in tech talent - but it has also been used by outsourcing companies. Critics, including President Trump, have said those companies use the program to hire foreign workers instead of Americans - and he's proposed reforming it. That's scared international students, particularly those pursuing business degrees, who use the programs as stepping stones to better or more well-paid careers. While the number of foreign business students in the US may be declining, for many American students, business remains a global enterprise. Monica Kelly is one of those students. Though she hails from Seattle, Washington, she's spent most of her career in Los Angeles. \"I was in a position where I reached senior management level and I was looking for a way to expand my global opportunities,\" she says. Monica decided that in order to seize those opportunities, she had to go abroad for business school. That's how she found herself at Nottingham. And she's not alone. At Nottingham, I spoke with two other students from India, and the program boasts a class made up of people from 104 countries. Almost all of them said business was an increasingly global endeavour. Because of that, they fretted they wouldn't be able to get international experience in the US, a country they feel has increasingly turned inwards. That they're attracted to a business school in the UK, however, is no accident. \"In the UK, we have gone through a period where the MBA [the main business school qualification] suffered quite a bit,\" says Baback Yazdani, the dean of Nottingham Business School. That was partially due to visa restrictions that were put in place five years ago, which limited the ability for graduate students to get post-study work visas. Since then, Nottingham has worked hard to build its program around \"experiential learning\" - meaning that in addition to traditional classes, students travel abroad to work for companies in places like Italy and Rome. The school also focused on helping students secure internships at companies that might sponsor them for visas, or that might be able to hire them in other parts of the world. Businesses close to Nottingham include Boots, which has merged with the pharmacy chain Walgreens in the US. \"Overall the MBAs are a saturated market - and it's a global market,\" says Mr Yazdani. \"There are very sophisticated consumers for this market. So they know what they want and they know it's everywhere. So they are looking for differentiators and value.\" Speaking of value - at an annual price of PS16,500, or around $22,000 at today's exchange rates - the Nottingham program is under half what most students at US business schools end up paying per year. Today, there are more than 5,000 students in its various business degree courses. Nottingham's administration says that their pivot could possibly help US schools. \"My guess is that's probably happening now in the [US], and that the universities [there] will be going through the same trajectories,\" says Nottingham Business School lecturer Phil Considine. \"We're kind of five years ahead of them.\" In Nottingham's atrium, banners are strung from the rafters welcoming international students, who start classes today. Looking out through the school's windows, you can see the beginning of the famed Sherwood Forest - where story has it Robin Hood hid out with his merry men. For US business schools, who might not be feeling too merry, \"stealing\" a lesson from Nottingham might be a good way to make it through leaner times.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5707, "answer_start": 4883, "text": "Today, there are more than 5,000 students in its various business degree courses. Nottingham's administration says that their pivot could possibly help US schools. \"My guess is that's probably happening now in the [US], and that the universities [there] will be going through the same trajectories,\" says Nottingham Business School lecturer Phil Considine. \"We're kind of five years ahead of them.\" In Nottingham's atrium, banners are strung from the rafters welcoming international students, who start classes today. Looking out through the school's windows, you can see the beginning of the famed Sherwood Forest - where story has it Robin Hood hid out with his merry men. For US business schools, who might not be feeling too merry, \"stealing\" a lesson from Nottingham might be a good way to make it through leaner times." } ], "id": "39_0", "question": "Lessons for the US?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A former Boston College student has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection to the suicide of her boyfriend in May. The indictment of Inyoung You, 21, over the death of Alexander Urtula, 22, was announced in the US state of Massachusetts on Monday. A local attorney said Ms You, a South Korean national, had been abusive towards Mr Urtula. Mr Urtula died hours before his graduation on 20 May. Ms You, who is currently in South Korea, has so far made no public comment on the case. At a news conference on Monday, Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins announced that Ms You had been charged with involuntary manslaughter by a Suffolk County grand jury. The attorney revealed that after an \"extensive investigation\" police determined that she \"was physically, verbally and psychologically abusive towards Mr Urtula during their 18-month-long tumultuous relationship\". \"The abuse became more frequent, more powerful and more demeaning in the days and hours leading up to Mr Urtula's death,\" the attorney said. She said that the couple had exchanged more than 75,000 text messages in the two months prior to Mr Urtula's death. In her posts, Ms You urged Mr Urtula to \"go kill himself\" and \"go die\", the attorney said. She added that on 20 May Ms You \"was tracking Mr Urtula's location and went to the Renaissance garage\" where he killed himself. Where to get help From Canada or US: If you're in an emergency, please call 911 You can contact the US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255 or the Crisis Test Line by texting HOME to 741741 Young people in need of help can call Kids Help Phone on 1-800-668-6868 If you are in the UK, you can call the Samaritans on 116123 For support and more information on emotional distress, click here.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1363, "answer_start": 499, "text": "At a news conference on Monday, Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins announced that Ms You had been charged with involuntary manslaughter by a Suffolk County grand jury. The attorney revealed that after an \"extensive investigation\" police determined that she \"was physically, verbally and psychologically abusive towards Mr Urtula during their 18-month-long tumultuous relationship\". \"The abuse became more frequent, more powerful and more demeaning in the days and hours leading up to Mr Urtula's death,\" the attorney said. She said that the couple had exchanged more than 75,000 text messages in the two months prior to Mr Urtula's death. In her posts, Ms You urged Mr Urtula to \"go kill himself\" and \"go die\", the attorney said. She added that on 20 May Ms You \"was tracking Mr Urtula's location and went to the Renaissance garage\" where he killed himself." } ], "id": "40_0", "question": "What are the accusations?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "As Carl Emmerson came to the end of his presentation on the Tory and Labour manifestos presented to the voters, there was an \"ouch\" moment. \"The shame of the two big parties' manifestos is that neither sets out an honest set of choices,\" the deputy director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies said. Does that mean there is no point in reading them? Not quite. The importance of the manifestos is that, economically, they propose quite different approaches to the next five years. The Conservatives say they will maintain tight controls on public spending and that any new Tory government will seek to \"balance the books\" by 2025 - meaning the government would spend as much as it receives in tax receipts. The party has been deliberately vague on costings (\"extremely light\" as the IFS describes it), not wanting to tie the hands of any new prime minister or chancellor. The voters are being asked to take the manifesto on trust. In sharp contrast, Labour proposes making the economy operate more \"fairly\" with higher levels of tax on the wealthy, higher levels of public spending and more borrowing to pay for capital investment projects. Its costings are detailed and open to interpretation. The IFS lays out major challenges for both parties. It says the Conservative proposals would mean cuts in benefit payments and lower spending per pupil in education, for example. Is that deliverable in an era of generally falling incomes for the \"just about managing\" and a need to improve schools? When it comes to the NHS, the IFS says that the period after the election would be \"incredibly challenging\". The institute also points out that continuing the 1% public sector pay cap would take pay levels in the public sector to their lowest level relative to the private sector in \"recent decades\". And suggests that after 8 June - if they win - the Tories could announce spending plans less stringent than envisaged, as the David Cameron-led government did in 2015. The new government could even raise some additional taxes. When it comes to Labour, the IFS says that plans to raise PS49bn in extra taxes from those earning over PS80,000 and higher levels of business taxes are an \"overestimate\" and would make people \"worse off\". It says that even on optimistic forecasts, the tax increases would raise PS40bn a year in the short term and less in the long term. That would be a PS9bn annual shortfall. The taxes are also not \"victim-free\", as the IFS describes it. \"When businesses pay tax, they are handing over money that would otherwise have ended up with people, and not only rich ones,\" Mr Emmerson said. \"Millions with pension funds are effectively shareholders [in businesses].\" The IFS accepts that Labour does not propose to raise spending to \"unusually high\" levels compared to other advanced Western economies such as Canada. And that increased investment spending could have \"positive long-term economic returns\". So why does the IFS say that the manifestos are less than honest? Firstly, because it is not convinced that the Conservatives can deliver the cuts the manifesto suggests and maintain public services. Nor is it convinced that Labour will be able to raise the amount of revenue it expects and that the extra taxes would not damage the broader economy. But there are also two more substantial challenges. Labour has little to say on tackling the increasing costs of our ageing population, the IFS says. And the Tories have little to say on the possible economic impact of a rapid cut in immigration, which the government's official economic watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, suggests could reduce tax receipts by PS6bn a year. The two parties are laying out two very different approaches to the economy. At that high level, the manifestos are important. Even if, when it comes to the detail, voters might need to reach for a pretty hefty pinch of salt.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3887, "answer_start": 2924, "text": "So why does the IFS say that the manifestos are less than honest? Firstly, because it is not convinced that the Conservatives can deliver the cuts the manifesto suggests and maintain public services. Nor is it convinced that Labour will be able to raise the amount of revenue it expects and that the extra taxes would not damage the broader economy. But there are also two more substantial challenges. Labour has little to say on tackling the increasing costs of our ageing population, the IFS says. And the Tories have little to say on the possible economic impact of a rapid cut in immigration, which the government's official economic watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, suggests could reduce tax receipts by PS6bn a year. The two parties are laying out two very different approaches to the economy. At that high level, the manifestos are important. Even if, when it comes to the detail, voters might need to reach for a pretty hefty pinch of salt." } ], "id": "41_0", "question": "Telling fibs?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "David Cameron wants to renegotiate the terms of the UK's membership ahead of a referendum by the end of 2017. He has said he will campaign for Britain to remain in the EU if he gets the reforms he wants. Mr Cameron said he did not want to reveal full details of his negotiating hand before serious discussions get under way. Through a series of speeches and newspaper articles, he has given an overview of his priorities but, and in November, he set down his objectives on paper for the first time in a letter to Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council. His four key objectives are: - Economic governance: Securing an explicit recognition that the euro is not the only currency of the European Union, to ensure countries outside the eurozone are not materially disadvantaged. The UK wants safeguards that steps to further financial union cannot be imposed on non-eurozone members and the UK will not have to contribute to eurozone bailouts - Competitiveness: Setting a target for the reduction of the \"burden\" of excessive regulation and extending the single market - Immigration: Restricting access to in-work and out-of-work benefits to EU migrants. Specifically, ministers want to stop those coming to the UK from claiming certain benefits until they have been resident for four years. Ministers have reportedly been warned by the UK's top civil servant this could be discriminatory and any limits may be reduced to less than a year. An option of an \"emergency brake\" to stop the payments for four years is being discussed as a compromise deal - Sovereignty: Allowing Britain to opt out from the EU's founding ambition to forge an \"ever closer union\" of the peoples of Europe so it will not be drawn into further political integration. Giving greater powers to national parliaments to block EU legislation. The Conservatives want to free business from red tape and \"excessive interference\" from Brussels and to provide access to new markets through \"turbo charging\" free trade deals with America and Asia. They also want trade barriers in the services and digital sectors to be removed to create a truly single market as well as specific protections for the City of London. They support continued enlargement of the EU to new members but with new mechanisms in place to \"prevent vast migrations across the Continent\". The prime minister has said Britain would resist any move towards a European Army and that he wants to free British police forces from EU interference. He has also ruled out Britain joining the euro. But he has placed less emphasis in recent years on demanding changes to EU social policy, such as the maximum 48-hour working week, agency workers, maternity leave and non-discrimination rules - amid pressure from trade unions to leave such protections intact. The official UK government position is that a referendum will be held by the end of 2017 but Downing Street sources have said: \"If we can do it earlier we will.\" it is widely expected to be held in June or July if a deal is reached at the EU summit in February. The Conservatives will attempt to repeal the Human Rights Act, which requires UK courts to treat the European Court of Human Rights as setting legal precedents for the UK, in favour of a British Bill of Rights. The European Court of Human Rights is not a European Union institution. It was set up by the Council of Europe (CoE), which has 47 members including Russia and Ukraine. David Cameron says that if necessary he would back a new law reasserting the power of the UK Parliament over the EU. The freedom for people to move around Europe, enshrined in the EU treaties, works in parallel with the other three basic freedoms in the single market: freedom of goods, capital and services. It is a \"red line\" for other EU leaders, who do not want to see it eroded. Mr Cameron's decision to seek the four year ban on some UK benefits for EU migrants was a way round it, but a number of EU countries - including Hungary and Poland - say they will not accept anything which discriminates against their nationals. This has led to reports that the idea of an \"emergency brake\" to limit numbers when there has been a surge of migrants, might be back on the agenda. In a speech in November 2014, David Cameron set out measures to reduce the number of EU nationals moving to the UK. His main proposals were: - Four year delay for EU migrants wishing to claim in-work benefits, such as tax credits, or seeking access to social housing - Stopping migrants claiming child benefit for dependents living outside the UK - Removing migrants from the UK after six months if they have not found work - Restricting the right of migrants to bring non-EU family members into the UK - Stopping EU jobseekers claiming Universal Credit - Speeding up deportation of convicted criminals - Longer re-entry bans for beggars and fraudsters removed from the UK - Stopping citizens from new EU entrants working in the UK until their economies have \"converged more closely\". - Extra money for communities with high levels of migrants Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, has said he is ready to work with Mr Cameron to \"strike a fair deal for the United Kingdom in the EU\". But his spokesman reacted to the publication of Mr Cameron's negotiation objectives by warning that restrictions on benefits for new arrivals to the UK would be \"highly problematic\" as they affected the \"fundamental freedoms of our internal market\" and amounted to \"direct discrimination between EU citizens\". The main sticking point has been opposition from countries including Hungary and Poland to the idea of the four year ban on claiming some UK benefits. The message from the rest of the EU is that there cannot be a policy which discriminates against other EU nationals. However David Cameron has said he is willing to consider alternatives that have the same impact on migration flows, while his EU colleagues have also said they want to come up with a deal which achieves the UK's aims. Read more: Donald Tusk's letter responding to UK's renegotiation demands Mr Cameron has faced repeated calls to say whether he would campaign for Britain's exit from the EU in the referendum if he fails to get what he wants from the renegotiation process. All he has said is that he will \"rule nothing out\" and he has no \"emotional attachment\" to the EU. Some Conservative MPs want Britain to leave the EU no matter what David Cameron manages to renegotiate. A larger group are likely to want more concessions than Mr Cameron has so far indicated he is prepared to demand. Senior backbencher David Davis, who was defeated by Mr Cameron for the Tory leadership in 2005, told the Daily Telegraph the majority of the 332 Conservative MPs want Mr Cameron to negotiate an \"opt-out\" power to stop individual EU laws from applying to Britain. The prime minister has said this would be \"impossible\" without Britain leaving the EU. Mr Davis claims as many as 60 Tory MPs would be prepared to rebel and vote for Britain's exit from the EU if the prime minister fails to deliver. Graham Brady, chairman of the Tory backbench 1922 committee, which represents backbenchers, had urged David Cameron to give all Conservative MPs, including ministers, a free vote in the EU referendum despite Mr Cameron warning in January 2015 that serving cabinet ministers would have to quit the government if they wanted to campaign to leave the EU - if he had secured the reforms to it he wants. That position has now changed with Mr Cameron agreeing to allow cabinet ministers to campaign - in a personal capacity - on either side of the EU referendum campaign, once his renegotiation is over. In the 1975 referendum on whether Britain should remain in the European Economic Community, as the EU was then called, Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson decided to suspend collective responsibility because his cabinet was split on the issue. Ministers were allowed to vote with their consciences and campaign against each other. The majority of them, including Mr Wilson, joined the Yes camp, but left-wingers, such as Tony Benn, played a leading role in the No campaign. The Yes campaign won easily with 67% of the vote. Referendum on the UK's future in the European Union The UK is to have a referendum by the end of 2017 on whether to remain a member of the European Union or to leave. The vote is being proceeded by a process of negotiations in which the Conservative government is seeking to secure a new deal for the UK. Guide: All you need to know about the referendum More: BBC News EU referendum special report", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1821, "answer_start": 204, "text": "Mr Cameron said he did not want to reveal full details of his negotiating hand before serious discussions get under way. Through a series of speeches and newspaper articles, he has given an overview of his priorities but, and in November, he set down his objectives on paper for the first time in a letter to Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council. His four key objectives are: - Economic governance: Securing an explicit recognition that the euro is not the only currency of the European Union, to ensure countries outside the eurozone are not materially disadvantaged. The UK wants safeguards that steps to further financial union cannot be imposed on non-eurozone members and the UK will not have to contribute to eurozone bailouts - Competitiveness: Setting a target for the reduction of the \"burden\" of excessive regulation and extending the single market - Immigration: Restricting access to in-work and out-of-work benefits to EU migrants. Specifically, ministers want to stop those coming to the UK from claiming certain benefits until they have been resident for four years. Ministers have reportedly been warned by the UK's top civil servant this could be discriminatory and any limits may be reduced to less than a year. An option of an \"emergency brake\" to stop the payments for four years is being discussed as a compromise deal - Sovereignty: Allowing Britain to opt out from the EU's founding ambition to forge an \"ever closer union\" of the peoples of Europe so it will not be drawn into further political integration. Giving greater powers to national parliaments to block EU legislation." } ], "id": "42_0", "question": "What is Britain looking for?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2793, "answer_start": 1822, "text": "The Conservatives want to free business from red tape and \"excessive interference\" from Brussels and to provide access to new markets through \"turbo charging\" free trade deals with America and Asia. They also want trade barriers in the services and digital sectors to be removed to create a truly single market as well as specific protections for the City of London. They support continued enlargement of the EU to new members but with new mechanisms in place to \"prevent vast migrations across the Continent\". The prime minister has said Britain would resist any move towards a European Army and that he wants to free British police forces from EU interference. He has also ruled out Britain joining the euro. But he has placed less emphasis in recent years on demanding changes to EU social policy, such as the maximum 48-hour working week, agency workers, maternity leave and non-discrimination rules - amid pressure from trade unions to leave such protections intact." } ], "id": "42_1", "question": "What else does Mr Cameron want?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3055, "answer_start": 2794, "text": "The official UK government position is that a referendum will be held by the end of 2017 but Downing Street sources have said: \"If we can do it earlier we will.\" it is widely expected to be held in June or July if a deal is reached at the EU summit in February." } ], "id": "42_2", "question": "When will the referendum be held?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3552, "answer_start": 3056, "text": "The Conservatives will attempt to repeal the Human Rights Act, which requires UK courts to treat the European Court of Human Rights as setting legal precedents for the UK, in favour of a British Bill of Rights. The European Court of Human Rights is not a European Union institution. It was set up by the Council of Europe (CoE), which has 47 members including Russia and Ukraine. David Cameron says that if necessary he would back a new law reasserting the power of the UK Parliament over the EU." } ], "id": "42_3", "question": "What about the European Court of Human Rights?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4213, "answer_start": 3553, "text": "The freedom for people to move around Europe, enshrined in the EU treaties, works in parallel with the other three basic freedoms in the single market: freedom of goods, capital and services. It is a \"red line\" for other EU leaders, who do not want to see it eroded. Mr Cameron's decision to seek the four year ban on some UK benefits for EU migrants was a way round it, but a number of EU countries - including Hungary and Poland - say they will not accept anything which discriminates against their nationals. This has led to reports that the idea of an \"emergency brake\" to limit numbers when there has been a surge of migrants, might be back on the agenda." } ], "id": "42_4", "question": "What about freedom of movement?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6370, "answer_start": 6089, "text": "Mr Cameron has faced repeated calls to say whether he would campaign for Britain's exit from the EU in the referendum if he fails to get what he wants from the renegotiation process. All he has said is that he will \"rule nothing out\" and he has no \"emotional attachment\" to the EU." } ], "id": "42_5", "question": "What if Mr Cameron fails to get the changes he wants?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 7084, "answer_start": 6371, "text": "Some Conservative MPs want Britain to leave the EU no matter what David Cameron manages to renegotiate. A larger group are likely to want more concessions than Mr Cameron has so far indicated he is prepared to demand. Senior backbencher David Davis, who was defeated by Mr Cameron for the Tory leadership in 2005, told the Daily Telegraph the majority of the 332 Conservative MPs want Mr Cameron to negotiate an \"opt-out\" power to stop individual EU laws from applying to Britain. The prime minister has said this would be \"impossible\" without Britain leaving the EU. Mr Davis claims as many as 60 Tory MPs would be prepared to rebel and vote for Britain's exit from the EU if the prime minister fails to deliver." } ], "id": "42_6", "question": "What do other Conservative MPs want?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Adult film star Stormy Daniels is suing President Donald Trump over a so-called \"hush agreement\". Ms Daniels (her real name is Stephanie Clifford) alleges she and Mr Trump had sex in 2006, and that he has been trying to keep it quiet ever since. A lawyer for Ms Daniels has made claims of a cover-up, and others have raised questions about potentially illegal campaign payments. The president rejects all the allegations, and lawyers are suing Ms Daniels back for breaking this deal. Mr Trump denies that any money from his 2016 presidential campaign was used to buy Ms Daniels' silence, and says that the affair never happened. Using campaign funds could have been a violation of federal law. But while Mr Trump's supporters have largely ignored the story, along with allegations of sexual assault and the infamous Access Hollywood tape, the Stormy Daniels case could see the president testify in court - with 2018 mid-term elections just around the corner. She was born in Louisiana in 1979. She moved into the adult film industry first as a performer, before in 2004 branching out into directing and also writing. Her stage name comes from Motley Crue's bassist Nikki Sixx's daughter Storm, and the US whisky Jack Daniels - which southerner Ms Clifford chose after reading an ad calling the drink \"a Southern favourite\". You may also recognise her cameo appearances in films The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up, and the music video for Maroon Five's song Wake Up Call. She also thought of running for a US Senate seat in Louisiana in 2010 but called off her run after she said her candidacy was not being taken seriously. It all goes back to July 2006 - when the White House was merely a twinkle in Donald Trump's eye. Ms Daniels says she met him that month at a charity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, a resort area between California and Nevada. In a 2011 interview with In Touch Weekly, published in full in January, she says Mr Trump invited her to dinner and that she went to meet him in his hotel room. \"He was all sprawled out on the couch, watching television or something,\" she said in the interview. \"He was wearing pyjama pants.\" Ms Daniels alleges the pair had sex in the hotel room, something Mr Trump's lawyer said his client \"vehemently denies\". If Ms Daniels' account is true, this would all have happened just four months after the birth of Mr Trump's youngest child, Barron. In a 60 Minutes interview that aired in late March, Ms Daniels claimed she was threatened to stay quiet about the affair. She alleged a man approached her in a Las Vegas car park in 2011, shortly after she agreed to the In Touch Weekly interview, and told her to \"leave Trump alone\". Ms Daniels said the last time they spoke was in 2010, around the time she called off her US Senate bid. Rumours of the affair started to appear before the November 2016 presidential election. In January, the Wall Street Journal published an article claiming President Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, made a $130,000 (PS94,000) payment to Ms Daniels in October 2016, one month before the election. The Journal said the money was part of a non-disclosure agreement with Ms Clifford, which said she couldn't discuss the affair publicly. \"These are old, recycled reports, which were published and strongly denied prior to the election,\" a White House official said. Mr Cohen denied the payment. In a statement to the Journal, he called the allegations \"outlandish\", and said they'd been \"consistently denied by all parties\" for years. But in February he announced he had in fact paid Ms Daniels the money. In a statement to the New York Times, Mr Cohen said neither the Trump campaign nor the Trump organisation knew anything about the payment, which he had made from his own pocket. \"The payment to Ms Daniels was lawful, and was not a campaign contribution or a campaign expenditure by anyone.\" On 3 May, President Trump admitted that Mr Cohen had paid off Ms Daniels and was reimbursed. Earlier, his legal aide Rudy Giuliani had said in a TV interview that the money was Mr Trump's personal cash. Meanwhile, Michael Avenatti, Ms Daniels' lawyer, has claimed that the non-disclosure deal Ms Daniels signed was delivered to Mr Cohen at his Trump Tower office. \"This idea that there's a separation now between Mr Cohen, individually, and the Trump Organization or Mr Cohen, individually, and Donald Trump, it's nonsense,\" he told 60 Minutes. The 60 Minutes interview was highly anticipated, with the New York Times writing about viewing parties across the US and \"Dark and Stormy\" cocktails on offer in bars. Shortly after it aired, lawyers for Mr Cohen filed a cease-and-desist against Ms Daniels and her lawyer, saying the allegations of a threat defamed Mr Cohen. \"Mr Cohen had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with any such person or incident, and does not even believe that any such person exists, or that such incident ever occurred,\" the letter reads. Before the 60 Minutes episode, President Trump's lawyers sued Ms Daniels for $20m and to keep the case out of the public eye. The lawyers claim she broke their non-disclosure deal, or \"hush agreement\". This follows Ms Daniels saying she was suing Mr Trump, claiming he didn't even sign the \"hush agreement\". Her lawyer, Michael Avenatti, tweeted about the lawsuit with a link to the documents filed in a California court. There were also reports that President Trump had won a restraining order against Ms Daniels in February. In April, the FBI raided the New York offices of Mr Cohen following a referral from Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating suspected Russian meddling in the 2016 election. US media reported that documents relating to the payment to Ms Daniels were seized in the raid. But the payment was only one of several topics being investigated, according to the New York Times. Mr Cohen's $130,000 payment to Ms Daniels just before the 2016 election could count as an illegal contribution to President Trump's campaign. Trevor Potter, president of the Campaign Legal Center, said if Mr Cohen did this on Mr Trump's behalf, \"that is a co-ordinated, illegal, in-kind contribution by Cohen for the purpose of influencing the election\". Democrats Ted Lieu and Kathleen Rice, representatives for California and New York respectively, have asked the FBI to investigate Mr Cohen's payment to Ms Daniels. More importantly, the fact there was a payment made at all by Mr Cohen has not been fully explained. Asked whether the affair is important, Ms Daniels' lawyers said: \"This is about the cover-up. \"This is about the extent that Mr Cohen and the president have gone to intimidate this woman, to silence her, to threaten her, and to put her under their thumb,\" said Mr Avenatti. One of the few Republicans to comment, South Carolina congressman Mark Sanford, told the Washington Post the claims were \"deeply troubling\". \"If it was a Democratic president and hush money had been paid in the campaign, would there be a series of hearings going on?\" Mr Sanford asked. \"I think you could probably point to a fair number of indicators that suggest there would be.\" President Trump's supporters, even those on the religious right, have largely brushed off his past behaviour and women's accusations against him. But the growing scandal could have a bearing on the midterm elections, with Democrats already making gains in traditionally Republican areas, to the concern of the party. And the Stormy Daniels scandal could see President Trump called in to testify in court - bringing even greater exposure to the case.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1627, "answer_start": 960, "text": "She was born in Louisiana in 1979. She moved into the adult film industry first as a performer, before in 2004 branching out into directing and also writing. Her stage name comes from Motley Crue's bassist Nikki Sixx's daughter Storm, and the US whisky Jack Daniels - which southerner Ms Clifford chose after reading an ad calling the drink \"a Southern favourite\". You may also recognise her cameo appearances in films The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up, and the music video for Maroon Five's song Wake Up Call. She also thought of running for a US Senate seat in Louisiana in 2010 but called off her run after she said her candidacy was not being taken seriously." } ], "id": "43_0", "question": "Who is Stormy Daniels?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2785, "answer_start": 1628, "text": "It all goes back to July 2006 - when the White House was merely a twinkle in Donald Trump's eye. Ms Daniels says she met him that month at a charity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, a resort area between California and Nevada. In a 2011 interview with In Touch Weekly, published in full in January, she says Mr Trump invited her to dinner and that she went to meet him in his hotel room. \"He was all sprawled out on the couch, watching television or something,\" she said in the interview. \"He was wearing pyjama pants.\" Ms Daniels alleges the pair had sex in the hotel room, something Mr Trump's lawyer said his client \"vehemently denies\". If Ms Daniels' account is true, this would all have happened just four months after the birth of Mr Trump's youngest child, Barron. In a 60 Minutes interview that aired in late March, Ms Daniels claimed she was threatened to stay quiet about the affair. She alleged a man approached her in a Las Vegas car park in 2011, shortly after she agreed to the In Touch Weekly interview, and told her to \"leave Trump alone\". Ms Daniels said the last time they spoke was in 2010, around the time she called off her US Senate bid." } ], "id": "43_1", "question": "What does she allege?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4418, "answer_start": 2786, "text": "Rumours of the affair started to appear before the November 2016 presidential election. In January, the Wall Street Journal published an article claiming President Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, made a $130,000 (PS94,000) payment to Ms Daniels in October 2016, one month before the election. The Journal said the money was part of a non-disclosure agreement with Ms Clifford, which said she couldn't discuss the affair publicly. \"These are old, recycled reports, which were published and strongly denied prior to the election,\" a White House official said. Mr Cohen denied the payment. In a statement to the Journal, he called the allegations \"outlandish\", and said they'd been \"consistently denied by all parties\" for years. But in February he announced he had in fact paid Ms Daniels the money. In a statement to the New York Times, Mr Cohen said neither the Trump campaign nor the Trump organisation knew anything about the payment, which he had made from his own pocket. \"The payment to Ms Daniels was lawful, and was not a campaign contribution or a campaign expenditure by anyone.\" On 3 May, President Trump admitted that Mr Cohen had paid off Ms Daniels and was reimbursed. Earlier, his legal aide Rudy Giuliani had said in a TV interview that the money was Mr Trump's personal cash. Meanwhile, Michael Avenatti, Ms Daniels' lawyer, has claimed that the non-disclosure deal Ms Daniels signed was delivered to Mr Cohen at his Trump Tower office. \"This idea that there's a separation now between Mr Cohen, individually, and the Trump Organization or Mr Cohen, individually, and Donald Trump, it's nonsense,\" he told 60 Minutes." } ], "id": "43_2", "question": "Why has the story only surfaced recently?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5847, "answer_start": 4419, "text": "The 60 Minutes interview was highly anticipated, with the New York Times writing about viewing parties across the US and \"Dark and Stormy\" cocktails on offer in bars. Shortly after it aired, lawyers for Mr Cohen filed a cease-and-desist against Ms Daniels and her lawyer, saying the allegations of a threat defamed Mr Cohen. \"Mr Cohen had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with any such person or incident, and does not even believe that any such person exists, or that such incident ever occurred,\" the letter reads. Before the 60 Minutes episode, President Trump's lawyers sued Ms Daniels for $20m and to keep the case out of the public eye. The lawyers claim she broke their non-disclosure deal, or \"hush agreement\". This follows Ms Daniels saying she was suing Mr Trump, claiming he didn't even sign the \"hush agreement\". Her lawyer, Michael Avenatti, tweeted about the lawsuit with a link to the documents filed in a California court. There were also reports that President Trump had won a restraining order against Ms Daniels in February. In April, the FBI raided the New York offices of Mr Cohen following a referral from Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating suspected Russian meddling in the 2016 election. US media reported that documents relating to the payment to Ms Daniels were seized in the raid. But the payment was only one of several topics being investigated, according to the New York Times." } ], "id": "43_3", "question": "Where are we now?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 7572, "answer_start": 5848, "text": "Mr Cohen's $130,000 payment to Ms Daniels just before the 2016 election could count as an illegal contribution to President Trump's campaign. Trevor Potter, president of the Campaign Legal Center, said if Mr Cohen did this on Mr Trump's behalf, \"that is a co-ordinated, illegal, in-kind contribution by Cohen for the purpose of influencing the election\". Democrats Ted Lieu and Kathleen Rice, representatives for California and New York respectively, have asked the FBI to investigate Mr Cohen's payment to Ms Daniels. More importantly, the fact there was a payment made at all by Mr Cohen has not been fully explained. Asked whether the affair is important, Ms Daniels' lawyers said: \"This is about the cover-up. \"This is about the extent that Mr Cohen and the president have gone to intimidate this woman, to silence her, to threaten her, and to put her under their thumb,\" said Mr Avenatti. One of the few Republicans to comment, South Carolina congressman Mark Sanford, told the Washington Post the claims were \"deeply troubling\". \"If it was a Democratic president and hush money had been paid in the campaign, would there be a series of hearings going on?\" Mr Sanford asked. \"I think you could probably point to a fair number of indicators that suggest there would be.\" President Trump's supporters, even those on the religious right, have largely brushed off his past behaviour and women's accusations against him. But the growing scandal could have a bearing on the midterm elections, with Democrats already making gains in traditionally Republican areas, to the concern of the party. And the Stormy Daniels scandal could see President Trump called in to testify in court - bringing even greater exposure to the case." } ], "id": "43_4", "question": "Why does this matter?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The index of the UK's biggest 100 companies, the FTSE 100, has now fallen by 15% since its all-time high on 27 April 2015. That makes it more serious than a technical correction, normally thought of as a fall of 10%. However, it is not yet a bear market, which is the term used when the index drops 20% or more. The index of the next biggest companies - the FTSE 250 - is down by 10% since its peak on 3 June. While the current rout of prices was initially confined to commodity and mining stocks, hit by the slowdown in China, the slump now looks much more widespread. \"We are in the midst of a full-blown growth scare, with China at the epicentre,\" said a note from analysts at JP Morgan. So how worried should we be by such events - or is there even a silver lining to this crisis? Monday's fall on the FTSE 100, of 4.67%, is not that big in historical terms. On 19 October 1987, otherwise known as Black Monday, the index fell by 10.84%. The following day, it fell by a further 12.22%. On 28 October 1929, at the start of the Wall Street crash, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 12% - and a further 11% the day after. What is more significant, however, is not the individual one-day falls, but the longer-term declines. In 1987, for example, Black Monday was followed by a true bear market. By the end of the month, the FTSE 100 had fallen by more than 26%. During the financial crisis of 2007-08, the FTSE 100 peaked at 6,724 on 12 October 2007, reaching a trough of 3,512 on 3 March 2009 - in all, a drop of 47%. One immediate impact of the current market turbulence is likely to be a further delay in an interest rate rise. The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) primarily looks at inflation expectations when considering any change in rates - and those expectations are still being driven by China. China's recent devaluation has only increased its capacity to export deflation, so corralling inflation in western economies. So despite recent suggestions by the governor of the Bank of England that a rise might be expected as soon as the end of 2015, analysts now expect that rise to come considerably later. In other words, those on variable-rate mortgages can now breathe more easily, and may not have to hurry to switch to a fixed-rate deal. \"I think it's good news for mortgage holders, as it must put back the date of the next rate rise,\" said mortgage expert Ray Boulger of brokers John Charcol. On the other hand, the news will inevitably not be so good for savers, who will have to stomach record low savings rates for a while longer. How much you should worry about the stock market fall probably depends on your age. Those in their 50s, approaching retirement, will have much more to be concerned about than younger people. In particular, anyone about to take out a pension, or indeed thinking of cashing in their pension, may have to think again. (See pensions below). But younger people with pensions, or those investing in the stock market directly, may have little to fear. Admittedly, some analysts worry that the markets have further to fall. \"Against this backdrop, it would take an investor with nerves of steel to contemplate dipping back into the market at this point,\" said Michael Hewson, analyst at CMC Markets. But other experts say that young investors will have plenty of time to make their money back - and indeed could make a lot of money by investing now. \"For younger investors, falls like this are great,\" says Mark Dampier, investment analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown. \"You're buying the market way cheaper. You should be adding.\" But you don't need to hold shares directly to be hit by the current slump. If you are paying into a pension, the chances are that about 70% of it is invested in shares or share-based funds. While you will now be feeling considerably poorer, it only really matters if you are about to cash in your pension, buy an annuity or set up a drawdown policy. In that case, your capital will have shrunk, and now may not be the best time to buy a pension. Mark Dampier is particularly concerned about those who already have a drawdown scheme in place. Pensioners in drawdown leave their capital invested and \"draw down\" an income from it. But falling share prices can erode the capital quickly. \"If you are in a drawdown plan, this is definitely the time to check you are not drawing down too much from your capital,\" he told the BBC. Those who do are in danger of running out of money before they die. On the other hand, many pension pots will not have fallen in value by as much as the FTSE 100. Smaller companies - particularly those not in mining or commodities - have fared better. And while many funds typically invest 70% in shares, 30% is often invested in bonds - which may even have gone up in value over the last few months. Those whose pensions are in so-called lifestyle funds will anyway have seen some of their capital gradually transferred into bonds, as they get nearer retirement age. The outstanding question, as ever, is whether the slump has further to go, and how long it may take markets to recover. \"This is a nasty correction,\" said Mark Dampier. \"And nobody knows whether there's more to come. That's what makes it scary. But unless this is the death of capitalism, stock markets do recover.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1525, "answer_start": 785, "text": "Monday's fall on the FTSE 100, of 4.67%, is not that big in historical terms. On 19 October 1987, otherwise known as Black Monday, the index fell by 10.84%. The following day, it fell by a further 12.22%. On 28 October 1929, at the start of the Wall Street crash, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 12% - and a further 11% the day after. What is more significant, however, is not the individual one-day falls, but the longer-term declines. In 1987, for example, Black Monday was followed by a true bear market. By the end of the month, the FTSE 100 had fallen by more than 26%. During the financial crisis of 2007-08, the FTSE 100 peaked at 6,724 on 12 October 2007, reaching a trough of 3,512 on 3 March 2009 - in all, a drop of 47%." } ], "id": "44_0", "question": "How big is the fall?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "China's National People's Congress has set the country's growth target for 2016 at a lower range of 6.5%-7%. Premier Li Keqiang made the announcement in his opening speech, warning of a \"difficult battle\" ahead. The annual meeting in Beijing sets out to determine both the economic and political agenda for the country. It comes at a time when China struggles with slowing economic growth and a shift away from overreliance on manufacturing and heavy industry. The congress is also expected to approve a new five-year plan, a legacy of the communist command economy. Why China's National People's Congress matters \"China will face more and tougher problems and challenges in its development this year, so we must be fully prepared to fight a difficult battle,\" Mr Li told delegates on Saturday. Last year, China's goal was \"about 7%\". The economy actually grew by 6.9% - the lowest expansion in 25 years. Mr Li also said that China was targeting consumer inflation at \"around 3%\" and unemployment \"within 4.5%\". Meanwhile, the country's defence spending will be raised by 7.6%, the state-run Xinhua news agency reports, citing a budget report. China's congress is a highly choreographed, largely rubber stamp affair, but Premier Li's opening address can at least be gleaned for clues about the overall direction of policy, the BBC's John Sudworth in Beijing reports. There was plenty of talk about \"painful rebalancing\", the need to reform inefficient state owned enterprises and to cut overcapacity - but for many, this speech will look a lot like business as usual: a commitment to growth at all costs, our correspondent adds. As expected, China released an economic growth target at the opening session of the NPC. But this was the first time we saw a range set instead of a hard and fast number. A recognition that China's growth may slip below the 6.9% recorded last year, yes, but economists have long said that a growth range may indicate a more accommodating stance towards much-needed structural reforms. Why does this matter to the rest of us? Well, China is now the world's second largest economy and has been a massive consumer of a lot of the stuff Asian businesses are selling. So while a slowdown will inevitably impact Asia in the short term, it'll be more important to see whether China's growth, slowing or not, will transition to a more sustainable path. This year's congress is overshadowed by the current economic strains as China experiences slowing economic growth and extreme volatility in stock markets. The stock market slump had seen indexes lose more than 30% of their value in 2015 and led to large-scale government intervention of limited success. Beijing has also been accused of guiding the yuan currency lower to boost the competitiveness of Chinese exports on the global market. A slew of weak economic data has recently added to the concerns and US ratings agency Moody's has downgraded its outlook for China from \"stable\" to \"negative\". There also is concern over rising unemployment as Beijing seeks to gradually shift its economy from overdependence on manufacturing and industry towards more services and consumer spending. A government official said earlier this week that 1.8 million workers were expected to be laid off in the steel and coal industries. With Beijing keen to prevent social unrest, the government has tightened its grip on dissenters and government critics. In their latest move, authorities have blocked the account of a prominent critic and cracked down on Hong Kong booksellers publishing books critical of China's leaders. President Xi Jinping recently went on a well-publicised tour of the main Communist Party newspaper, the state news agency, and state television, demanding absolute loyalty to the party and its leadership in thought, politics and action. Under China's 1982 constitution, the most powerful organ of state is meant to be the National People's Congress, China's parliament. Critics argue though that it is little more than a rubber stamp for party decisions. The congress is made up of nearly 3,000 delegates elected by China's provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities and the armed forces. Delegates hold office for five years, and the full congress is convened for one session each year. This sporadic and unwieldy nature means that real influence lies within a standing committee of about 150 members elected from congress delegates. It meets every couple of months. In theory, the congress has the powers to change the constitution and make laws. But it is not seen as an independent body in the Western sense of a parliament.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4616, "answer_start": 3822, "text": "Under China's 1982 constitution, the most powerful organ of state is meant to be the National People's Congress, China's parliament. Critics argue though that it is little more than a rubber stamp for party decisions. The congress is made up of nearly 3,000 delegates elected by China's provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities and the armed forces. Delegates hold office for five years, and the full congress is convened for one session each year. This sporadic and unwieldy nature means that real influence lies within a standing committee of about 150 members elected from congress delegates. It meets every couple of months. In theory, the congress has the powers to change the constitution and make laws. But it is not seen as an independent body in the Western sense of a parliament." } ], "id": "45_0", "question": "What is the National People's Congress?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A recent court ruling has got South Africans of all ages discussing the merits, and otherwise, of smacking children. \"Is it true that parents are not allowed to spank their children any more?\" came the question from my 10-year-old step-daughter at the dinner table. I had barely swallowed my food or gathered my thoughts before she continued: \"It hurts you know, children don't like being spanked.\" And there it was, my chance to regain my footing and win back this little exchange: \"Well it's punishment dear, you're not supposed to like it.\" She went back to her dinner, well at least for a minute. But it was true, she had heard the news at school and wanted to make sure her friend had not been lying to her. A court in Johannesburg recently ruled that physical discipline in the home was not in line with the constitution, meaning parents who smack their children could be jailed for assault. It didn't take much for social media and comment pages of online websites to be flooded with parents criticising the ruling. Abrie Botha posted on local TV channel ENCA's website: \"Spanking taught me good manners, respect, high work ethics, drive to perform at my best, loyalty, determination. It made me a very successful human being. What is this nonsense? But some people backed the court ruling. @Chief Inspector Felix agreed: \"Good! Spanking is clearly abuse, the perpetrators of this horrible abuse should be thrown into jail.\" Corporal punishment was outlawed in South Africa two decades ago but if you were a parent and had hit your child to discipline them, you could use the defence of \"reasonable chastisement\" to avoid prosecution. Parents could be acquitted if they could prove that the punishment was moderate and reasonable - that is no longer allowed. Ann Skelton of the Pretoria-based Centre for Child Law, who argued on behalf of children in the case, said the previous law was too vague: \"One parent might think that smacking with the hand on the bottom is not very serious and therefore reasonable, whereas another parent might think that hitting with a cane or even with a sjambok [whip] is still within the bounds of reasonable chastisement,\" she told the BBC. But not everyone is pleased. Terry Raphadu, the mother of a seven-year-old girl in Johannesburg, told me: \"I find it a bit unfair - there's a difference between abusing your child and disciplining your child.\" She says she has spanked her daughter a couple of times \"but it's mostly the promise of a spank that gets the job done\" . \"However, I am finding out as she grows up, my disciplining methods have changed. Now, I can cut money, access to TV and devices as part of disciplining her.\" Child abuse, much like domestic abuse is a real problem here - and experts say both should be treated with the same seriousness. \"It was once common for men to hit their wives here some 50 years ago but that has changed. Children are more vulnerable, we must communicate this clearly and make it common for parents to not use violence to discipline,\" says Ms Skelton. Each court will still have to use its discretion to decide whether an assault was excessive and if the parents should be prosecuted. Michael Swain, head of the Freedom of Religion South Africa (Forsa) pressure group, believes the ruling sets a dangerous precedent in a country where Christianity is widely practiced. Many Christians believe that the Bible backs spanking, with scriptures such as: - \"Don't fail to discipline your children. They won't die if you spank them. Physical discipline may well save them from death\" (Proverbs 23:13) - \"Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell\" (Proverbs 23:14) Although the Bible emphasises that this is an act of love. \"The ruling has effectively interpreted people's faith for them and could potentially criminalise them if they decide to continue to obey what they would see as their conscience, rather than the law of the land,\" Mr Swain told the BBC. \"They see the Bible as the correct parenting module.\" The ruling was made in the case of a father who had been found guilty of using excessive force against his 13-year-old son after finding out that he had surfed pornographic websites. The boy was left severely bruised and Johannesburg judge Raylene Keightley found that this was \"out of step with international norms\". - Botswana - Guyana - Malaysia - Mauritania - Nigeria - Palestinian Territories - Saudi Arabia - Somalia - Tanzania Source: Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children Corporal punishment in the home is illegal in at least 53 countries in the world, including Brazil, France, Kenya, Benin, the Republic of Congo and most recently Zimbabwe. A number of countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, China and Nigeria still allow corporal punishment \"in some settings\", according to the UN-linked Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children, whose mandate is to help implement in resolutions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Back at the dinner table, I asked my daughter: \"So what do you think your dad and I should do when you and your sister are naughty, since we're not allowed to spank you?\" As quick as a bullet, she replied: \"Well there are other things, you could take away something we really love, like my books or Mireya's toys for a bit. That would be hard.\" We don't spank at home - but both of us grew up on lashes as the only form of discipline - it was simply what was being done at the time. But I decided before the girls came along that I wanted to try something different - I found the thought of having to run after a screaming child after a long day at work too exhausting. My mother, who was the sole disciplinarian at home, and never one to shy away from a well-deserved wallop, would have my head today if I ever spanked her grandchildren or her \"princesses\" as she calls them. \"These days you talk to children, explain things to them, we didn't know that in my time,\" she often says. \"Times are different now\". She is alluding to the high levels of violence against children, a point also made by Ms Skelton. The Sonke Gender Justice, a male-centred group lobbying for an end to the abuse of women, says South Africa's violent society is not a matter of coincidence. \"A large body of research shows that there's a strong association between men's use of violence and their exposure to harsh physical punishment as children. This ruling promises to reduce multiple forms of violence,\" ENCA quotes Wessel van den Berg, from Sonke Gender Justice, as saying. And so the ruling has divided South Africans, not along the usual racial lines, but something far more nuanced - over long-held beliefs about parenting in a country feeling hopeless about how to change its culture of violence, and whether it's time to ask whether spanking is where it all started.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2671, "answer_start": 1432, "text": "Corporal punishment was outlawed in South Africa two decades ago but if you were a parent and had hit your child to discipline them, you could use the defence of \"reasonable chastisement\" to avoid prosecution. Parents could be acquitted if they could prove that the punishment was moderate and reasonable - that is no longer allowed. Ann Skelton of the Pretoria-based Centre for Child Law, who argued on behalf of children in the case, said the previous law was too vague: \"One parent might think that smacking with the hand on the bottom is not very serious and therefore reasonable, whereas another parent might think that hitting with a cane or even with a sjambok [whip] is still within the bounds of reasonable chastisement,\" she told the BBC. But not everyone is pleased. Terry Raphadu, the mother of a seven-year-old girl in Johannesburg, told me: \"I find it a bit unfair - there's a difference between abusing your child and disciplining your child.\" She says she has spanked her daughter a couple of times \"but it's mostly the promise of a spank that gets the job done\" . \"However, I am finding out as she grows up, my disciplining methods have changed. Now, I can cut money, access to TV and devices as part of disciplining her.\"" } ], "id": "46_0", "question": "Who decides what is reasonable?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4022, "answer_start": 2672, "text": "Child abuse, much like domestic abuse is a real problem here - and experts say both should be treated with the same seriousness. \"It was once common for men to hit their wives here some 50 years ago but that has changed. Children are more vulnerable, we must communicate this clearly and make it common for parents to not use violence to discipline,\" says Ms Skelton. Each court will still have to use its discretion to decide whether an assault was excessive and if the parents should be prosecuted. Michael Swain, head of the Freedom of Religion South Africa (Forsa) pressure group, believes the ruling sets a dangerous precedent in a country where Christianity is widely practiced. Many Christians believe that the Bible backs spanking, with scriptures such as: - \"Don't fail to discipline your children. They won't die if you spank them. Physical discipline may well save them from death\" (Proverbs 23:13) - \"Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell\" (Proverbs 23:14) Although the Bible emphasises that this is an act of love. \"The ruling has effectively interpreted people's faith for them and could potentially criminalise them if they decide to continue to obey what they would see as their conscience, rather than the law of the land,\" Mr Swain told the BBC. \"They see the Bible as the correct parenting module.\"" } ], "id": "46_1", "question": "An act of faith?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The UK has decided to let Huawei continue to be used in its growing 5G networks - but with restrictions. The long-awaited decision goes against advice and pressure from the US to block the firm for security reasons. But some industry-watchers believe it will benefit the wider rollout of next-generation mobile data services. \"I think it's a pragmatic decision that brings stability and continuity in the 5G ecosystem,\" commented Stephane Teral from IHS Markit. \"Huawei has been investing in the UK and in other countries in Europe including France, Germany, Italy, and Poland since the beginning of this century. A ban would have been disastrous.\" Firstly, the decision is seen as a blow to US-UK relations. After months of lobbying by Washington, Westminster has gone against one of its closest allies. A Trump administration official has said the US \"is disappointed\" with the decision. And both Democrats and Republicans have tweeted their disgust. Conversely, the decision to allow one of China's most important and valuable companies to operate in the UK is an endorsement that will please Beijing. Chinese diplomats had warned the UK there could be \"substantial\" repercussions to other trade and investment plans had the company been banned outright. Sources close to Huawei suggest that the UK's decision is likely to have a favourable impact on other markets, where Huawei is being considered as part of the 5G rollout. The US, Australia and Japan decided some time ago to ban Huawei kit from being used in 5G telecommunications networks, but many other countries are still deciding what to do. It is expected to have an almost instant impact on the nations that make up the Five Eyes security partnership: Whilst the US and Australia has already banned the brand, New Zealand and Canada are now expected to follow the UK's lead. The debate is raging across the European Union, where Europe's leading telecoms operators - all Huawei customers - have lobbied against an outright ban. The EU will soon publish a bloc-wide framework to address risks in networks but is not expected to place any bans on individual companies. In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel is reported to be at odds with many in her party who want to remove Huawei from the existing German networks. Britain's decision could bolster her case. Huawei has had a strong footprint in many African countries for years, and 5G is already being built and tested with the company's kit. South Africa is the first and only country on the continent to have commercially launched a 5G service. And the company responsible for doing this, Rain, uses the Chinese firm's products. Other countries, including India, are currently trialling Huawei technology but are yet to decide on full rollout. They will no doubt look to the UK's analysis, not least the documents that the National Cyber Security Centre has published, to back up their decision. Elsewhere, Huawei is making a major push in South America and facing little-to-no restrictions in many large markets including Brazil. Britain's semi-endorsement of the company will no doubt aid Huawei as it continues to build out networks there.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1257, "answer_start": 649, "text": "Firstly, the decision is seen as a blow to US-UK relations. After months of lobbying by Washington, Westminster has gone against one of its closest allies. A Trump administration official has said the US \"is disappointed\" with the decision. And both Democrats and Republicans have tweeted their disgust. Conversely, the decision to allow one of China's most important and valuable companies to operate in the UK is an endorsement that will please Beijing. Chinese diplomats had warned the UK there could be \"substantial\" repercussions to other trade and investment plans had the company been banned outright." } ], "id": "47_0", "question": "How will this affect UK-US-China relations?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3158, "answer_start": 1258, "text": "Sources close to Huawei suggest that the UK's decision is likely to have a favourable impact on other markets, where Huawei is being considered as part of the 5G rollout. The US, Australia and Japan decided some time ago to ban Huawei kit from being used in 5G telecommunications networks, but many other countries are still deciding what to do. It is expected to have an almost instant impact on the nations that make up the Five Eyes security partnership: Whilst the US and Australia has already banned the brand, New Zealand and Canada are now expected to follow the UK's lead. The debate is raging across the European Union, where Europe's leading telecoms operators - all Huawei customers - have lobbied against an outright ban. The EU will soon publish a bloc-wide framework to address risks in networks but is not expected to place any bans on individual companies. In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel is reported to be at odds with many in her party who want to remove Huawei from the existing German networks. Britain's decision could bolster her case. Huawei has had a strong footprint in many African countries for years, and 5G is already being built and tested with the company's kit. South Africa is the first and only country on the continent to have commercially launched a 5G service. And the company responsible for doing this, Rain, uses the Chinese firm's products. Other countries, including India, are currently trialling Huawei technology but are yet to decide on full rollout. They will no doubt look to the UK's analysis, not least the documents that the National Cyber Security Centre has published, to back up their decision. Elsewhere, Huawei is making a major push in South America and facing little-to-no restrictions in many large markets including Brazil. Britain's semi-endorsement of the company will no doubt aid Huawei as it continues to build out networks there." } ], "id": "47_1", "question": "Will other countries now follow the UK?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Just hours ahead of her solo pitch to 27 EU leaders for a short delay to Brexit, Theresa May faced Jeremy Corbyn at the dispatch box. Here is what happened. While talks continued between the Conservatives and Labour on breaking the parliamentary deadlock on the UK's exit from the EU, the Labour leader avoided the issue of Brexit. Mr Corbyn did mark the 21st anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday peace agreement in Northern Ireland - as did Mrs May and the SNP's Ian Blackford - and called for it to be maintained post-Brexit. But he moved on to attack Mrs May over local council funding, claiming nine of the 10 most deprived council areas in the country had seen cuts almost three times the average of any other council. \"We shouldn't forget communities across the country abandoned by this government,\" he said. The PM defended her record, saying councils have more money available this year; and she said her government \"listened to councils\", for example by lifting the borrowing cap at their request to help funding to build new homes. Mr Corbyn threw more statistics across the dispatch box, saying cuts in Swindon alone amounted to PS235 per household and in Stoke-on-Trent it rose to PS640, but the affluent county of Surrey was seeing an increase in its funding. He also claimed 500,000 more children had gone into relative poverty and, in Stoke alone, 4,000 food bank parcels had been handed out to children. The Labour leader asked: \"Does she think areas with the highest levels of deprivation deserve facing the largest cuts in their budget?\" The PM said members across the House \"should take action to make sure families are getting more money into their pockets\". Mrs May listed measures taken by her government, from freezing fuel duty to introducing the Living Wage, adding: \"He should be backing these measures instead of voting against them.\" She admitted that the government had asked local councils \"to take difficult decisions to living with our means\", but only because of the deficit left by Labour. In their last exchange, Mr Corbyn said it was a \"political choice to impose austerity\", which was \"vindictive and damaging\". He concluded: \"Far from tackling burning injustices... [she has] pushed councils to the brink and left those 'just about managing' not being able to manage at all. That is her legacy.\" Mrs May said she was proud in what her government had achieved, including better schools, more jobs and lower borrowing. She finished by saying a Labour government led by Mr Corbyn would be about \"destroying our defences, abandoning our allies, [seeing] billions more in borrowing, fewer opportunities and higher taxes for everyone. That's a Labour future and we will never let it happen.\" The SNP's Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, was not afraid to focus on Brexit. He asked the prime minister outright whether the government had offered a further referendum to Labour during their talks - \"yes or no?\" Mrs May reiterated her opposition to another public vote and reminded him the Commons had voted on and rejected such an outcome twice. But Mr Blackford stayed on topic, saying: \"People can't have faith in a backroom deal cooked up by two leaders who don't possess the ingredients to hold their parties together, never mind hold these islands together.\" He then asked her whether she would accept a longer extension from the EU if offered at the summit later. The PM said she had \"made her position clear\", but took a jibe at the SNP MP, saying: \"It is a little difficult for many of us in this House to hear him week after week stand up and say that the UK should stay within the European Union when Scottish independence would have meant taking Scotland out of the European Union.\" Mr Blackford wasn't the only one highlighting Brexit either, as Conservative MP Henry Smith warned of the cost of a long extension to the UK. Police funding came up on both sides of the Commons. Conservative Theresa Villiers brought up a case of a 15-year-old in her constituency chased by three men with a knife and criticised London's Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan for closing her local police station. But Labour's Wayne David showed the PM a graph on how her government's choices on funding had affected the police in Wales. Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas called on the prime minister to speak to more young campaigners about threats to the environment. Mrs May said it gave her an opportunity to praise the green credentials of a school in her constituency. Here is BBC parliamentary correspondent Mark D'Arcy's take. You wouldn't guess from PMQs that the UK is on the eve of an emergency European Council which could see Brexit postponed for perhaps a year. The elephant in the Chamber sat quietly at the back, emitting the occasional gentle belch, as the main protagonists argued about council spending in the run up to the local elections on 2 May - trading soundbites about Tory austerity and Labour's record deficits. The SNP's Ian Blackford wasn't playing and, on its 21st anniversary, he opened on the impact of Brexit on the Good Friday Agreement. And he attacked the Conservatives and Labour as \"Brexit parties\", as they continue their talks on a possible deal to get some agreed form of Brexit through the Commons. It was noticeable that the PM did not answer Mr Blackford's well-targeted question about whether a referendum was on the table in those talks - merely observing that some in the Commons might propose a referendum, but her position had not changed. A few antennae quivered at that careful formulation. The PM took some rather diffident Brexit fire from her own side, but not as much as might have been expected the morning after 97 Conservatives defied the party whip and voted against a further postponement. It was mild rather than bitter. Craig Tracey said Britain had nothing to fear from a no-deal exit. Henry Smith complained about the cost of Brexit payments to the EU, and David Duguid offered an easy hit for the PM about leaving the Commons Fisheries Policy. Any thought that the PM might be treated to a pre-summit monstering from Brexiteer backbenchers, to demonstrate that she might not be able to deliver whatever she promised EU leaders, was soon dispelled. The troops were on best behaviour.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4500, "answer_start": 2734, "text": "The SNP's Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, was not afraid to focus on Brexit. He asked the prime minister outright whether the government had offered a further referendum to Labour during their talks - \"yes or no?\" Mrs May reiterated her opposition to another public vote and reminded him the Commons had voted on and rejected such an outcome twice. But Mr Blackford stayed on topic, saying: \"People can't have faith in a backroom deal cooked up by two leaders who don't possess the ingredients to hold their parties together, never mind hold these islands together.\" He then asked her whether she would accept a longer extension from the EU if offered at the summit later. The PM said she had \"made her position clear\", but took a jibe at the SNP MP, saying: \"It is a little difficult for many of us in this House to hear him week after week stand up and say that the UK should stay within the European Union when Scottish independence would have meant taking Scotland out of the European Union.\" Mr Blackford wasn't the only one highlighting Brexit either, as Conservative MP Henry Smith warned of the cost of a long extension to the UK. Police funding came up on both sides of the Commons. Conservative Theresa Villiers brought up a case of a 15-year-old in her constituency chased by three men with a knife and criticised London's Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan for closing her local police station. But Labour's Wayne David showed the PM a graph on how her government's choices on funding had affected the police in Wales. Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas called on the prime minister to speak to more young campaigners about threats to the environment. Mrs May said it gave her an opportunity to praise the green credentials of a school in her constituency." } ], "id": "48_0", "question": "What else came up?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6274, "answer_start": 4501, "text": "Here is BBC parliamentary correspondent Mark D'Arcy's take. You wouldn't guess from PMQs that the UK is on the eve of an emergency European Council which could see Brexit postponed for perhaps a year. The elephant in the Chamber sat quietly at the back, emitting the occasional gentle belch, as the main protagonists argued about council spending in the run up to the local elections on 2 May - trading soundbites about Tory austerity and Labour's record deficits. The SNP's Ian Blackford wasn't playing and, on its 21st anniversary, he opened on the impact of Brexit on the Good Friday Agreement. And he attacked the Conservatives and Labour as \"Brexit parties\", as they continue their talks on a possible deal to get some agreed form of Brexit through the Commons. It was noticeable that the PM did not answer Mr Blackford's well-targeted question about whether a referendum was on the table in those talks - merely observing that some in the Commons might propose a referendum, but her position had not changed. A few antennae quivered at that careful formulation. The PM took some rather diffident Brexit fire from her own side, but not as much as might have been expected the morning after 97 Conservatives defied the party whip and voted against a further postponement. It was mild rather than bitter. Craig Tracey said Britain had nothing to fear from a no-deal exit. Henry Smith complained about the cost of Brexit payments to the EU, and David Duguid offered an easy hit for the PM about leaving the Commons Fisheries Policy. Any thought that the PM might be treated to a pre-summit monstering from Brexiteer backbenchers, to demonstrate that she might not be able to deliver whatever she promised EU leaders, was soon dispelled. The troops were on best behaviour." } ], "id": "48_1", "question": "The verdict?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Twelve relatives of Nevada's Republican candidate for governor have written an op-ed accusing him of \"phoniness\" and of being a \"fake\" Westerner. The family members wrote on Monday that they \"feel compelled to protect our family name from being leveraged and exploited by Adam Laxalt\". The piece attacks Mr Laxalt's political positions and accuses him of spending most of his life away from the state. Mr Laxalt, who is currently Nevada's attorney general, has yet to respond. A spokesman for Mr Laxalt told the Washington Post that he \"has a large family and some distant relatives are lifelong liberal activists, donors and operatives\". But an aunt, some of his cousins and other relatives who include a university professor, a medical physician, a mental health therapist and a lawyer appeared to anticipate his response to their comments. \"If he responds to this article at all, it will probably be to say that he hardly knows the people writing this article,\" they wrote in the Reno Gazette Journal. \"And in many ways that would be true. We never had a chance to get to know him, really - he spent his life in Washington, DC while we lived in Northern Nevada and grew up in public schools and on public lands.\" Mr Laxalt, Nevada's attorney general, has spoken in campaign ads of being raised by a single mother who was a lobbyist in Washington DC. He was born in Reno but was raised in Washington DC. He returned to Nevada in 2013 and entered politics a year later. Mr Laxalt is the grandson of Paul Laxalt, who served both as governor as well as a senator for Nevada, and as a campaign chairman for President Ronald Reagan. On 6 November, he faces off against Democrat Steve Sisolak, a businessman and county commissioner. In their piece, the relatives allege he only moved to Nevada in 2013 \"so that he could lean on the reputation of a family that he hardly knew\" while also tapping out-of-state donors. The group mocked the boots and western shirt he wore in a campaign ad, which they say \"look like they were ordered off Amazon the week before\". \"All this careful arrangement is meant to project an image of authenticity, of a deep family tie to Nevada and its history. But it's all fake, all props paid for by someone else.\" \"We would be proud to have a Laxalt running for office on Nov 6, regardless of whether they were Republican or Democrat or independent, so long as we believed that they would be good for Nevada,\" the relatives wrote. \"We're writing because we care about Nevada and because we know the truth about this candidate. We think that you should, too.\" Mr Laxalt's family is not the only house divided over the candidacy of one of its members. In September six siblings of Arizona Republican Paul Gosar launched a biting television attack advert against him. The siblings appeared in an endorsement ad for his rival, Democrat David Brill.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2235, "answer_start": 1216, "text": "Mr Laxalt, Nevada's attorney general, has spoken in campaign ads of being raised by a single mother who was a lobbyist in Washington DC. He was born in Reno but was raised in Washington DC. He returned to Nevada in 2013 and entered politics a year later. Mr Laxalt is the grandson of Paul Laxalt, who served both as governor as well as a senator for Nevada, and as a campaign chairman for President Ronald Reagan. On 6 November, he faces off against Democrat Steve Sisolak, a businessman and county commissioner. In their piece, the relatives allege he only moved to Nevada in 2013 \"so that he could lean on the reputation of a family that he hardly knew\" while also tapping out-of-state donors. The group mocked the boots and western shirt he wore in a campaign ad, which they say \"look like they were ordered off Amazon the week before\". \"All this careful arrangement is meant to project an image of authenticity, of a deep family tie to Nevada and its history. But it's all fake, all props paid for by someone else.\"" } ], "id": "49_0", "question": "Who is Adam Laxalt?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Last year, a Muslim man in northern India was killed in a mob lynching over allegations that his family had been storing and consuming beef at home. The case sparked widespread outrage and a furious debate about religious tolerance. Now, there's a fresh twist in the case that has raised questions over the investigation - and highlighted tensions over beef in India. Mohammed Akhlaq was beaten to a death in the district of Dadri in September over rumours he had consumed beef. Hindus consider cows to be sacred, and for many, eating beef is taboo. The slaughter of cows is also banned in many Indian states. A lab test cited widely in the aftermath of the killing said the meat allegedly found in his refrigerator was mutton and not beef. However a new lab report, revealed by the lawyers of 18 people on trial for his murder, said that the meat in question was in fact beef. Later, it was also revealed that the meat was never in his house, but found inside a bin near his home. Although police are adamant that the type of meat is irrelevant to the case, the defence team is using the new test results to demand the release of the 18 suspects, on the grounds that they were \"provoked\" into attacking Mr Akhlaq. The court will hear a petition on Monday demanding that charges of cow slaughter are brought against Mr Akhlaq's family. Why was there a discrepancy between the two lab tests, and why it has taken so long for a second report to come out? Soon after the incident many media reports had claimed that police had taken meat samples from Mr Akhlaq's fridge. But police told the BBC that they had never collected meat samples from his home. Now, eight months later, the investigating police officer, Anurag Singh, has clarified that the meat samples were collected from the place of the mob attack, about 100 metres (330ft) away from Mr Akhlaq's house. \"The body of Akhlaq was lying near a transformer near his house and that is where we found some meat and took samples of it,\" he told the BBC. The first report, released soon after Mr Akhlaq's death, said the meat in question was mutton and was widely reported in India media. However, Mr HC Singh, in-charge of the Mathura forensic investigation laboratory which released the second report, told BBC News that the preliminary test was only based on a \"physical examination\" of the meat samples. The examination was carried out by a veterinary physician, but even he had recommended that it be sent to a lab for further conclusive testing, he added. \"Ours is the only laboratory that is equipped to do such analysis,\" Mr Singh said. According to Mr Singh, his laboratory had known that the meat was beef as early as October. However the test results were only submitted to the police in December. Mr Singh attributed the delay to a \"lack of postage stamps\" at the laboratory and the fact that they did not have a chairman for three months - excuses that have not convinced many people. Correspondents say the delay has led many to speculate that the laboratory was pressured into not revealing the test results, given the tensions brought about as a result of the incident. The lab report was only revealed to the public in June after lawyers for the 18 people accused of Mr Akhlaq's murder asked the court for a copy. Tensions in Bashara village, where Mr Akhlaq lived with his family before he was murdered, are high. The latest lab report has spurred relatives of the arrested men to petition the court, demanding that a case of cow slaughter be filed against his family. The few hundred Muslims who still live in the village say they live in fear. Reports of cow vigilante groups attacking people ferrying cattle, Hindu extremists holding arms training sessions, and reports of private Hindu armed groups operating in the region have heightened their fears. Some talk of leaving the village for good. Prem Singh was Mr Akhlaq's neighbour and both families got along well, celebrating festivals together and attending one another's weddings. But now he is listed as an eyewitness to Mr Akhlaq \"killing a cow\" and two of his grandsons are among the 18 men arrested. His wife is angry at the arrests, and told me: \"Would a Muslim tolerate it if we kill a pig and throw it outside their house?\" The court and police have consistently insisted that the new lab results will have no bearing on the case. The police investigating the case told the BBC that \"this has nothing to do with the investigation of the murder of Akhlaq by a mob.\" And Ram Sharan Yadav, one of the lawyers for the accused, said that the court had turned down their request for a copy of the second lab result. The lawyer for Mr Akhlaq's family said that \"in any case there is no law in the country that says a man can be murdered because he slaughtered a prohibited animal\". Uttar Pradesh is one of the 10 Indian states where the slaughter of cow, calf, bull and bullock is completely banned. However the slaughter of buffaloes and the sale and consumption of its beef is permitted. The defence lawyers are insisting that the mob was \"provoked\" and want all charges against them dismissed. It is unclear if this will work as a line of defence - police stand firm on the fact that the two things are unrelated, and the courts have also indicated that this is not a factor that they will take into consideration.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2004, "answer_start": 1453, "text": "Soon after the incident many media reports had claimed that police had taken meat samples from Mr Akhlaq's fridge. But police told the BBC that they had never collected meat samples from his home. Now, eight months later, the investigating police officer, Anurag Singh, has clarified that the meat samples were collected from the place of the mob attack, about 100 metres (330ft) away from Mr Akhlaq's house. \"The body of Akhlaq was lying near a transformer near his house and that is where we found some meat and took samples of it,\" he told the BBC." } ], "id": "50_0", "question": "Where was the meat found?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2594, "answer_start": 2005, "text": "The first report, released soon after Mr Akhlaq's death, said the meat in question was mutton and was widely reported in India media. However, Mr HC Singh, in-charge of the Mathura forensic investigation laboratory which released the second report, told BBC News that the preliminary test was only based on a \"physical examination\" of the meat samples. The examination was carried out by a veterinary physician, but even he had recommended that it be sent to a lab for further conclusive testing, he added. \"Ours is the only laboratory that is equipped to do such analysis,\" Mr Singh said." } ], "id": "50_1", "question": "Why was a second test carried out?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3280, "answer_start": 2595, "text": "According to Mr Singh, his laboratory had known that the meat was beef as early as October. However the test results were only submitted to the police in December. Mr Singh attributed the delay to a \"lack of postage stamps\" at the laboratory and the fact that they did not have a chairman for three months - excuses that have not convinced many people. Correspondents say the delay has led many to speculate that the laboratory was pressured into not revealing the test results, given the tensions brought about as a result of the incident. The lab report was only revealed to the public in June after lawyers for the 18 people accused of Mr Akhlaq's murder asked the court for a copy." } ], "id": "50_2", "question": "Why did the results of the second test take so long?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5343, "answer_start": 4257, "text": "The court and police have consistently insisted that the new lab results will have no bearing on the case. The police investigating the case told the BBC that \"this has nothing to do with the investigation of the murder of Akhlaq by a mob.\" And Ram Sharan Yadav, one of the lawyers for the accused, said that the court had turned down their request for a copy of the second lab result. The lawyer for Mr Akhlaq's family said that \"in any case there is no law in the country that says a man can be murdered because he slaughtered a prohibited animal\". Uttar Pradesh is one of the 10 Indian states where the slaughter of cow, calf, bull and bullock is completely banned. However the slaughter of buffaloes and the sale and consumption of its beef is permitted. The defence lawyers are insisting that the mob was \"provoked\" and want all charges against them dismissed. It is unclear if this will work as a line of defence - police stand firm on the fact that the two things are unrelated, and the courts have also indicated that this is not a factor that they will take into consideration." } ], "id": "50_3", "question": "Will this have a bearing on the murder trial?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "US President Donald Trump has said Huawei could be part of a trade deal between the US and China, despite branding the telecoms firm \"very dangerous\". The US-China trade war has escalated in recent weeks with tariff hikes and threats of more action. Washington has also targeted Huawei by putting the firm on a trade blacklist. The US argues Huawei poses a national security risk, while Beijing accuses the US of \"bullying\" the company. \"Huawei is something that is very dangerous,\" Mr Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday. \"You look at what they've done from a security standpoint, a military standpoint. Very dangerous.\" Last week, the Trump administration added Huawei - the world's second largest smartphone maker - to its \"entity list\", which bans the company from acquiring technology from US firms without government approval. But Mr Trump has said it is \"possible\" that the company could be part of any trade agreement with Beijing. \"If we made a deal, I could imagine Huawei being possibly included in some form or some part of it,\" he said. Huawei faces a growing backlash from Western countries, led by the US, over possible risks posed by using its products in next-generation 5G mobile networks. Several countries have raised concerns that Huawei equipment could be used by China for surveillance, allegations the company has vehemently denied. Huawei has said its work does not pose any threats and that it is independent from the Chinese government. The US trade ban on Huawei has already had a ripple effect on the global tech industry, with several companies stepping back from the company. \"The best response to the US bullying is that Chinese firms continue to grow stronger,\" China's Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng said at a briefing in Beijing on Thursday. Mr Trump's latest comments on Huawei came on the heels of an announcement of a $16bn ($12.6bn) aid programme to help US farmers hurt by the trade conflict with China. Earlier this month the US increased tariffs on $200bn worth of Chinese imports from 10% to 25% after the two sides failed to reach a deal on trade. China hit back by announcing plans to raise levies on $60bn of US imports from 1 June. The Trump administration has threatened to impose duties on another $300bn worth of Chinese goods, prompting industry to urge and end to the trade war as it warned of a \"catastrophic\" effect on consumers. For now, efforts toward resolving the trade dispute appear to have stalled. No formal discussions have been scheduled since the last talks ended without a deal on 10 May. On Thursday, China's Commerce Ministry's Mr Gao fired a shot at the US, saying if they want to continue trade talks \"they should show sincerity and correct their wrong actions\". The world's two largest economies have been engaged in a fractious dispute over trade since the early days of Mr Trump's presidency. Not only does the US accuse China of stealing intellectual property, but it wants Beijing to make changes to its economic policies, which it says unfairly favour domestic companies through subsidies. Mr Trump also wants to cut America's trade deficit with China, which he says is hurting US manufacturing.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1798, "answer_start": 1066, "text": "Huawei faces a growing backlash from Western countries, led by the US, over possible risks posed by using its products in next-generation 5G mobile networks. Several countries have raised concerns that Huawei equipment could be used by China for surveillance, allegations the company has vehemently denied. Huawei has said its work does not pose any threats and that it is independent from the Chinese government. The US trade ban on Huawei has already had a ripple effect on the global tech industry, with several companies stepping back from the company. \"The best response to the US bullying is that Chinese firms continue to grow stronger,\" China's Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng said at a briefing in Beijing on Thursday." } ], "id": "51_0", "question": "What are the concerns about Huawei?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3193, "answer_start": 1799, "text": "Mr Trump's latest comments on Huawei came on the heels of an announcement of a $16bn ($12.6bn) aid programme to help US farmers hurt by the trade conflict with China. Earlier this month the US increased tariffs on $200bn worth of Chinese imports from 10% to 25% after the two sides failed to reach a deal on trade. China hit back by announcing plans to raise levies on $60bn of US imports from 1 June. The Trump administration has threatened to impose duties on another $300bn worth of Chinese goods, prompting industry to urge and end to the trade war as it warned of a \"catastrophic\" effect on consumers. For now, efforts toward resolving the trade dispute appear to have stalled. No formal discussions have been scheduled since the last talks ended without a deal on 10 May. On Thursday, China's Commerce Ministry's Mr Gao fired a shot at the US, saying if they want to continue trade talks \"they should show sincerity and correct their wrong actions\". The world's two largest economies have been engaged in a fractious dispute over trade since the early days of Mr Trump's presidency. Not only does the US accuse China of stealing intellectual property, but it wants Beijing to make changes to its economic policies, which it says unfairly favour domestic companies through subsidies. Mr Trump also wants to cut America's trade deficit with China, which he says is hurting US manufacturing." } ], "id": "51_1", "question": "What about trade tariffs?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The death toll following the tsunami caused by the Anak Krakatau volcano in Indonesia has risen to at least 429, the disaster mitigation agency says. On Saturday giant waves crashed into coastal towns on the islands of Sumatra and Java. It is thought that volcanic activity set off undersea landslides which in turn generated the killer waves. About 150 people are still missing, while more than 16,000 have been displaced, the agency says. Coastal residents near the volcano have been warned to keep away from beaches amid fears it could trigger a new tsunami. Anak Krakatau erupted again on Sunday, spewing ash and smoke. Video shot from a charter plane captured the magnitude of the volcanic event in the Sunda Strait, between Sumatra and Java. Rescue efforts are being hampered by blocked roads but heavy lifting equipment is being transported to badly hit areas to help search for victims. On Monday, a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency told a news conference that another tsunami was a possibility because of the continued volcanic eruptions of Anak Krakatau. \"Recommendations from [the] Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency are that people should not carry out activities on the beach and stay away from the coast for a while,\" said spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. Anak Krakatau, which emerged in 1927 from the caldera that was formed during the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, has seen increased activity in recent months with people asked to avoid the area around its crater. On Monday Mr Sutopo put out a series of tweets explaining why there was no early warning for this tsunami. He said that Indonesia's early warning system is set up to monitor earthquakes but not undersea landslides and volcanic eruptions, which can also generate deadly waves. But, he added, with 13% of the world's volcanoes in Indonesia alone, it was crucial for the country to develop such system. He confirmed there was no tsunami advance warning system on the night of the disaster, adding that because of lack of funds, vandalism to the buoys and technical faults there had been no operational tsunami warning system since 2012. Geologist Raphael Paris, whose 2012 study predicted the collapse of a flank of Anak Krakatau and a subsequent tsunami, said: \"There is a big uncertainty on the stability of the volcanic cone now, and the probability for future collapses and tsunamis is perhaps non-negligible.\" The tsunami struck at 21:30 local time (14:30 GMT) during a local holiday, with few of the warning signals that might have come had it been generated by an earthquake. Seawater did not recede as it would with an earthquake tsunami. Experts say that even if there had been warning buoys near the volcano, there would have been minimal alert time. The waves destroyed hundreds of buildings, sweeping away cars and uprooting trees in several popular tourist destinations, including the Tanjung Lesung beach resort, west Java. Footage shared on social media showed a large wave crashing into a tent in the resort, in which popular Indonesian rock band Seventeen were performing. Members of the band were seen being swept away as the wave destroyed the stage. By Jonathan Amos, BBC science correspondent Everyone in the region will have been aware of Anak Krakatau, the volcano that emerged in the sea channel just less than 100 years ago. But its rumblings and eruptions have been described by local experts as relatively low-scale and semi-continuous. In other words, it's been part of the background. And yet it is well known that volcanoes have the capacity to generate big waves. The mechanism, as ever, is the displacement of a large volume of water. The first satellite imagery returned after the event on Saturday points strongly to a collapse in the west-southwest flank of the volcano. This would have sent millions of tonnes of rocky debris into the sea, pushing out waves in all directions. Indonesia is prone to tsunamis because it lies on the Ring of Fire - the line of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that circles virtually the entire Pacific Rim. In September, more than 2,000 people died when a powerful earthquake struck just off the central Indonesian island of Sulawesi, setting off a tsunami that engulfed the coastal city of Palu. On 26 December 2004, a series of huge waves triggered by a powerful earthquake in the Indian Ocean killed about 228,000 people in 13 countries, mostly in Indonesia. However, tsunamis caused by volcanic activity like this are less frequent. In August 1883, Krakatoa underwent one of the most violent volcanic eruptions in recorded history: - Massive tsunamis with waves of up to 41m killed more than 30,000 people - Thousands more were killed by hot ash - The eruptions were equivalent to 200 megatons of TNT - about 13,000 times the nuclear yield of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 - The eruptions were heard thousands of kilometres away - World temperatures dropped by more than 1C the following year - The volcanic island virtually disappeared Are you in the affected area? If it is safe to do so, get in touch by emailing [email protected]. or WhatsApp us on +44 7555 173285 Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Send pictures/video to [email protected] - Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2425, "answer_start": 895, "text": "On Monday, a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency told a news conference that another tsunami was a possibility because of the continued volcanic eruptions of Anak Krakatau. \"Recommendations from [the] Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency are that people should not carry out activities on the beach and stay away from the coast for a while,\" said spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. Anak Krakatau, which emerged in 1927 from the caldera that was formed during the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, has seen increased activity in recent months with people asked to avoid the area around its crater. On Monday Mr Sutopo put out a series of tweets explaining why there was no early warning for this tsunami. He said that Indonesia's early warning system is set up to monitor earthquakes but not undersea landslides and volcanic eruptions, which can also generate deadly waves. But, he added, with 13% of the world's volcanoes in Indonesia alone, it was crucial for the country to develop such system. He confirmed there was no tsunami advance warning system on the night of the disaster, adding that because of lack of funds, vandalism to the buoys and technical faults there had been no operational tsunami warning system since 2012. Geologist Raphael Paris, whose 2012 study predicted the collapse of a flank of Anak Krakatau and a subsequent tsunami, said: \"There is a big uncertainty on the stability of the volcanic cone now, and the probability for future collapses and tsunamis is perhaps non-negligible.\"" } ], "id": "52_0", "question": "What warning was given?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3180, "answer_start": 2426, "text": "The tsunami struck at 21:30 local time (14:30 GMT) during a local holiday, with few of the warning signals that might have come had it been generated by an earthquake. Seawater did not recede as it would with an earthquake tsunami. Experts say that even if there had been warning buoys near the volcano, there would have been minimal alert time. The waves destroyed hundreds of buildings, sweeping away cars and uprooting trees in several popular tourist destinations, including the Tanjung Lesung beach resort, west Java. Footage shared on social media showed a large wave crashing into a tent in the resort, in which popular Indonesian rock band Seventeen were performing. Members of the band were seen being swept away as the wave destroyed the stage." } ], "id": "52_1", "question": "Why was Saturday's tsunami so deadly?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3923, "answer_start": 3181, "text": "By Jonathan Amos, BBC science correspondent Everyone in the region will have been aware of Anak Krakatau, the volcano that emerged in the sea channel just less than 100 years ago. But its rumblings and eruptions have been described by local experts as relatively low-scale and semi-continuous. In other words, it's been part of the background. And yet it is well known that volcanoes have the capacity to generate big waves. The mechanism, as ever, is the displacement of a large volume of water. The first satellite imagery returned after the event on Saturday points strongly to a collapse in the west-southwest flank of the volcano. This would have sent millions of tonnes of rocky debris into the sea, pushing out waves in all directions." } ], "id": "52_2", "question": "How did the tsunami happen?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4525, "answer_start": 3924, "text": "Indonesia is prone to tsunamis because it lies on the Ring of Fire - the line of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that circles virtually the entire Pacific Rim. In September, more than 2,000 people died when a powerful earthquake struck just off the central Indonesian island of Sulawesi, setting off a tsunami that engulfed the coastal city of Palu. On 26 December 2004, a series of huge waves triggered by a powerful earthquake in the Indian Ocean killed about 228,000 people in 13 countries, mostly in Indonesia. However, tsunamis caused by volcanic activity like this are less frequent." } ], "id": "52_3", "question": "How common are tsunamis in Indonesia?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Some 100,000 people have fled their homes in north Syria, the UN reports, as Turkey presses on with its cross-border offensive on Kurdish-held areas. Many people are sheltering in schools or other buildings in Hassakeh city and the town of Tal Tamer, the UN says. Turkey took action on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump pulled American troops out of the area. At least 11 civilians have died. Humanitarian groups say the number of people affected will rise further. Dozens of fighters from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and pro-Turkish factions have been killed. The first death of a Turkish soldier was confirmed by Turkey's military. Analysts say the US withdrawal in effect gave Turkey the green light to begin its cross-border assault. Much of the region has been outside the control of the Syrian government as a consequence of the civil war which began in 2011. It has been controlled by the SDF since 2015. The SDF have been key allies of the US in the battle against the Islamic State (IS) group but Turkey regards the Kurdish militias of the SDF as \"terrorists\" who support an anti-Turkish insurgency. Turkey defended its offensive as a bid to create a \"safe zone\" free of Kurdish militias which could also house Syrian refugees. \"We will not stop it no matter what anyone says,\" President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday. One major concern for the international community is the fate of thousands of suspected IS prisoners, including many foreign nationals, being guarded by Kurdish-led forces in the region. On Friday, IS said it had planted a car bomb that killed six people - civilians and members of the security forces - in the border town of Qamishli on Friday. Meanwhile, US media report that an explosion occurred near a US base in Kobane, but no injuries have been reported. On Thursday, Turkish troops partly encircled the towns of Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad. But while the Turkish military said its operation was going to plan, Kurdish sources and activists from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the offensive had not made much progress. Turkish warplanes have struck targets in both towns, and video footage has shown columns of smoke rising above them. Tal Abyad's only public hospital has been forced to close. The Kurdish Red Crescent said there had been 11 confirmed civilian deaths so far and 28 serious injuries, mostly in Ras al-Ain and another border town, Qamishli. Some are children. At least five people, including a Syrian baby, were reportedly killed in Kurdish shelling of Turkish border towns. The SOHR reported at least 29 deaths among the SDF and 17 from among pro-Turkish Syrian rebels (known as the Syrian National Army), as more than 10 villages fell into Turkish hands. In a later report they said that seven members of pro-Turkish forces including a Turkish soldier had been killed as the SDF retook a village in Tal Abyad region. Turkey's military confirmed a soldier's death, and said three others had been wounded. Turkey's Anadolu news agency said late on Thursday 228 Kurdish militants had been \"neutralised\" since the start of the operation. The casualty reports could not be independently verified. A refugee crisis is developing. The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) gave the figure of 100,000 but aid groups say as many as 450,000 people could be forced to move. According to aid workers on the ground, the vast majority of civilians have fled Tal Abyad and those who remain fear for their lives. OCHA said the Turkish bombardment had affected key civilian infrastructure such as water stations. Thousands of people could lose adequate access to clean water in the Hassakeh region, it reports. Turkey wants to create a \"safe zone\" running for 480km (300 miles) along the Syrian side of the border but says it will not advance deeper than a planned 32km limit. On Friday Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he had shared \"serious concerns\" about the operation in a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. He expected Turkey, a Nato member, to \"act with restraint\", he added. Mr Erdogan has strongly defended the incursion, threatening to send some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees it hosts to Europe if the Turkish offensive is described as an occupation. Also on Friday, US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper said the Turkish operation \"risks the security of ISIS prison camps\" and could further destabilise the region. He added that the US was \"not abandoning\" its Kurdish partners there. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that President Donald Trump had authorised new sanctions on Turkey, but added that the US had not yet chosen to activate them. The SDF say they are holding more than 12,000 suspected IS members in seven prisons, and at least 4,000 of them are foreign nationals. The exact locations have not been revealed, but some are reportedly close to the Turkish border. Two camps - Roj and Ain Issa - holding families of suspected IS members are inside the \"safe zone\". On Friday the Kurdish-led authorities said discussions were under way on how to move the Ain Issa camp, which had been hit by shelling. Turkey has said it will take responsibility for the IS prisoners it found during its offensive. Are you in the affected area? If it is safe to do so contact us by emailing [email protected]. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: - WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803 - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Send pictures/video to [email protected] - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100 - Please read our terms of use and privacy policy", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3195, "answer_start": 1548, "text": "On Friday, IS said it had planted a car bomb that killed six people - civilians and members of the security forces - in the border town of Qamishli on Friday. Meanwhile, US media report that an explosion occurred near a US base in Kobane, but no injuries have been reported. On Thursday, Turkish troops partly encircled the towns of Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad. But while the Turkish military said its operation was going to plan, Kurdish sources and activists from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the offensive had not made much progress. Turkish warplanes have struck targets in both towns, and video footage has shown columns of smoke rising above them. Tal Abyad's only public hospital has been forced to close. The Kurdish Red Crescent said there had been 11 confirmed civilian deaths so far and 28 serious injuries, mostly in Ras al-Ain and another border town, Qamishli. Some are children. At least five people, including a Syrian baby, were reportedly killed in Kurdish shelling of Turkish border towns. The SOHR reported at least 29 deaths among the SDF and 17 from among pro-Turkish Syrian rebels (known as the Syrian National Army), as more than 10 villages fell into Turkish hands. In a later report they said that seven members of pro-Turkish forces including a Turkish soldier had been killed as the SDF retook a village in Tal Abyad region. Turkey's military confirmed a soldier's death, and said three others had been wounded. Turkey's Anadolu news agency said late on Thursday 228 Kurdish militants had been \"neutralised\" since the start of the operation. The casualty reports could not be independently verified." } ], "id": "53_0", "question": "What's the latest on the fighting?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3889, "answer_start": 3196, "text": "A refugee crisis is developing. The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) gave the figure of 100,000 but aid groups say as many as 450,000 people could be forced to move. According to aid workers on the ground, the vast majority of civilians have fled Tal Abyad and those who remain fear for their lives. OCHA said the Turkish bombardment had affected key civilian infrastructure such as water stations. Thousands of people could lose adequate access to clean water in the Hassakeh region, it reports. Turkey wants to create a \"safe zone\" running for 480km (300 miles) along the Syrian side of the border but says it will not advance deeper than a planned 32km limit." } ], "id": "53_1", "question": "What about displaced people?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4712, "answer_start": 3890, "text": "On Friday Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he had shared \"serious concerns\" about the operation in a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. He expected Turkey, a Nato member, to \"act with restraint\", he added. Mr Erdogan has strongly defended the incursion, threatening to send some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees it hosts to Europe if the Turkish offensive is described as an occupation. Also on Friday, US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper said the Turkish operation \"risks the security of ISIS prison camps\" and could further destabilise the region. He added that the US was \"not abandoning\" its Kurdish partners there. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that President Donald Trump had authorised new sanctions on Turkey, but added that the US had not yet chosen to activate them." } ], "id": "53_2", "question": "What has the reaction been?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5276, "answer_start": 4713, "text": "The SDF say they are holding more than 12,000 suspected IS members in seven prisons, and at least 4,000 of them are foreign nationals. The exact locations have not been revealed, but some are reportedly close to the Turkish border. Two camps - Roj and Ain Issa - holding families of suspected IS members are inside the \"safe zone\". On Friday the Kurdish-led authorities said discussions were under way on how to move the Ain Issa camp, which had been hit by shelling. Turkey has said it will take responsibility for the IS prisoners it found during its offensive." } ], "id": "53_3", "question": "How is the incursion affecting the IS situation?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The government has announced that most imports into the UK would not attract a tariff in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Under a temporary scheme 87% of imports by value would be eligible for zero-tariff access. At the moment 80% of imports are tariff free. Tariffs would be maintained to protect some industries, including agriculture. Beef, lamb, poultry and some dairy products would receive protection. A tariff is a tax applied to goods that are traded on international markets. In the great majority of cases, tariffs are applied to imported goods by the country importing them. But there can also be tariffs on exported goods. The new tariff regime would mark a shift in favour of products from non-EU countries. It would mean 82% of imports from the EU would be tariff-free, down from 100% now. 92% percent of imports from the rest of the world would pay no border duty, up from 56%. Under the plan, the UK car industry will receive some protection, with some imported cars attracting tariffs. But car parts from the EU would be tariff free, which will help car plants in the UK. Also, the ceramics industry would receive some protection from cheap imports. Industry bodies and businesses are still poring over the 1,477-page document which outlines the new plan. Imports of cars from the EU will have a tariff of 10% applied, which would add PS1,500 to a typical family car. Volkswagen has already said the cost would be passed on to the buyer. Car parts such as engines would have no new tax applied to avoid disruption to the movement of components. A spokesman for Ford UK warned that the tariffs would \"deal a devastating blow to much of the complex and integrated automotive industry, and would damage the competitiveness of Ford's engine manufacturing in the UK\". While some tariffs will protect farmers producing meat, other sectors of farming will have low or no tarrifs. The National Farmers' Union President, Minette Batters, said that eggs, cereals, fruit and vegetables would not receive any protection under the plans. The plans would see the current tariff rate on oranges cut from 16% to 0%, the rate for onions down from 9.6% to 0% and the tariff on imported televisions down from 14% to 0%. Unite assistant general secretary for manufacturing Steve Turner described the potential no-deal as \"economic vandalism which is threatening jobs and livelihoods\" and called for tariffs to be dropped on EU imports. Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the CBI described the changes as a \"sledgehammer to our economy\" as companies spend more on stockpiling. She said: \"These are being imposed on this country with no consultation with business with no time to prepare.\" Trade minister Liam Fox will speak to business leaders at 15:00 GMT to discuss the tariffs, Reuters reported. Trade Policy Minister George Hollingbery said: \"Our priority is securing a deal with the EU as this will avoid disruption to our global trading relationships. However, we must prepare for all eventualities.\" He said: \"This balanced approach will help to support British jobs and avoid potential price spikes that would hit the poorest households the hardest.\" \"The new tariff seems a reasonable compromise between protecting vulnerable (and politically important) sectors and keeping prices down for consumers,\" said Prof Alan Winters, director of the UK Trade Policy Observatory at the University of Sussex. \"For producers, there will be relief in some sectors and nasty surprises for others,\" he said. The government also announced that it will not introduce any new checks or controls, or require customs declarations for nearly all goods moving from across the border from Ireland to Northern Ireland in the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal. The move, to avoid friction at the UK's land border with the EU, will be temporary while a long solution is found. The government said tariffs will be payable on goods moving from the EU into the rest of the UK via Northern Ireland. It insisted that this would create no border down the Irish sea because there would be no checks on goods moved between Northern Ireland and Britain. But Prof Winters said it \"almost certainly\" violates World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules that demand equal treatment for all trading partners, he said. \"Leaving the Irish border open also opens up the possibility of some EU goods being shipped to the UK via Ireland and so avoiding UK tariffs.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1164, "answer_start": 633, "text": "The new tariff regime would mark a shift in favour of products from non-EU countries. It would mean 82% of imports from the EU would be tariff-free, down from 100% now. 92% percent of imports from the rest of the world would pay no border duty, up from 56%. Under the plan, the UK car industry will receive some protection, with some imported cars attracting tariffs. But car parts from the EU would be tariff free, which will help car plants in the UK. Also, the ceramics industry would receive some protection from cheap imports." } ], "id": "54_0", "question": "How would the new system work?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2215, "answer_start": 1165, "text": "Industry bodies and businesses are still poring over the 1,477-page document which outlines the new plan. Imports of cars from the EU will have a tariff of 10% applied, which would add PS1,500 to a typical family car. Volkswagen has already said the cost would be passed on to the buyer. Car parts such as engines would have no new tax applied to avoid disruption to the movement of components. A spokesman for Ford UK warned that the tariffs would \"deal a devastating blow to much of the complex and integrated automotive industry, and would damage the competitiveness of Ford's engine manufacturing in the UK\". While some tariffs will protect farmers producing meat, other sectors of farming will have low or no tarrifs. The National Farmers' Union President, Minette Batters, said that eggs, cereals, fruit and vegetables would not receive any protection under the plans. The plans would see the current tariff rate on oranges cut from 16% to 0%, the rate for onions down from 9.6% to 0% and the tariff on imported televisions down from 14% to 0%." } ], "id": "54_1", "question": "Where are the big changes?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2797, "answer_start": 2216, "text": "Unite assistant general secretary for manufacturing Steve Turner described the potential no-deal as \"economic vandalism which is threatening jobs and livelihoods\" and called for tariffs to be dropped on EU imports. Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the CBI described the changes as a \"sledgehammer to our economy\" as companies spend more on stockpiling. She said: \"These are being imposed on this country with no consultation with business with no time to prepare.\" Trade minister Liam Fox will speak to business leaders at 15:00 GMT to discuss the tariffs, Reuters reported." } ], "id": "54_2", "question": "What has been the reaction?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4431, "answer_start": 3502, "text": "The government also announced that it will not introduce any new checks or controls, or require customs declarations for nearly all goods moving from across the border from Ireland to Northern Ireland in the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal. The move, to avoid friction at the UK's land border with the EU, will be temporary while a long solution is found. The government said tariffs will be payable on goods moving from the EU into the rest of the UK via Northern Ireland. It insisted that this would create no border down the Irish sea because there would be no checks on goods moved between Northern Ireland and Britain. But Prof Winters said it \"almost certainly\" violates World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules that demand equal treatment for all trading partners, he said. \"Leaving the Irish border open also opens up the possibility of some EU goods being shipped to the UK via Ireland and so avoiding UK tariffs.\"" } ], "id": "54_3", "question": "How will the Irish border system work?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Russia's main opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, has been arrested at an anti-corruption protest he organised in the capital, Moscow. Thousands of people joined rallies nationwide, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev over corruption allegations. At least 500 other protesters were detained in the capital and across the country. Most of the marches were organised without official permission. TV pictures showed demonstrators chanting \"Down with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin!\", \"Russia without Putin!\" and \"Putin is a thief!\". Correspondents say the marches appear to be the biggest since anti-government demonstrations in 2011 and 2012. Alexei Navalny was detained as he arrived to join the rally in central Moscow. Protesters then tried to prevent a police van from taking him away. In a tweet after his detention, he urged fellow protesters to continue with the demonstration. \"Guys, I'm fine. No need to fight to get me out. Walk along Tverskaya [Moscow main street]. Our topic of the day is the fight against corruption,\" he said (in Russian). He later said police stormed the office of his foundation and detained its staff, who were broadcasting the protests live. Demonstrations were also held in Saint Petersburg, Vladivostok, Novosibirsk, Tomsk and several other cities, where arrests had also been reported. The US has condemned \"the detention of hundreds of peaceful protesters throughout Russia\". \"Detaining peaceful protesters, human rights observers, and journalists is an affront to core democratic values,\" acting State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. He added that the US was \"troubled\" by Mr Navalny's arrest. Alexei Navalny called for the nationwide protests after he published reports claiming that Mr Medvedev controlled mansions, yachts and vineyards - a fortune that far outstripped his official salary. Mr Medvedev's spokeswoman called the allegations \"propagandistic attacks\", but the prime minister himself has not commented on the claims. The reports included the accusation that Mr Medvedev had a special house for a duck on one of his properties - and on Sunday, some demonstrators held up images of yellow rubber ducks. Others showed up with their faces painted green, a reference to a recent attack in which Mr Navalny was hit with green liquid. In Moscow, protesters filled Pushkin square and some climbed the monument to poet Alexander Pushkin shouting \"impeachment\". Turnout was estimated to be between 7,000 and 8,000, according to police. The police said 500 protesters had been arrested in the capital alone, but a rights group, OVD Info, put that number at more than 800. Alec Luhn, a journalist with UK newspaper The Guardian, was among those detained. He was released five hours later. The Kremlin has not commented on the demonstrations. It had said on Friday that plans for an unauthorised protest in central Moscow were an illegal provocation. Local media reports suggested the authorities pressured students not to attend. In some cities, exams were scheduled on Sunday. Alexei Navalny announced his intention to run for president in 2018 against Vladimir Putin. But he is barred from doing so after being found guilty in a case he said was politicised. He said on his website that protests were planned in 99 cities, but that in 72 of them authorities did not give permission. Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2315, "answer_start": 1667, "text": "Alexei Navalny called for the nationwide protests after he published reports claiming that Mr Medvedev controlled mansions, yachts and vineyards - a fortune that far outstripped his official salary. Mr Medvedev's spokeswoman called the allegations \"propagandistic attacks\", but the prime minister himself has not commented on the claims. The reports included the accusation that Mr Medvedev had a special house for a duck on one of his properties - and on Sunday, some demonstrators held up images of yellow rubber ducks. Others showed up with their faces painted green, a reference to a recent attack in which Mr Navalny was hit with green liquid." } ], "id": "55_0", "question": "Why the protests?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Boris Johnson's decision to suspend parliament is an unlawful abuse of power, lawyers representing businesswoman Gina Miller have said. Outlining her case against prorogation at the High Court in London, Lord Pannick QC said it breached the legal principle of Parliamentary sovereignty. He added that a five-week suspension was of \"exceptional length\", saying in most cases it was for a week or less. Mr Johnson's lawyers argued prorogation was a political, not a legal, matter. A judgement is expected on Friday morning. A similar legal challenge heard at Edinburgh's Court of Session on Wednesday failed. In 2017, Gina Miller won a case which stopped ministers triggering the Article 50 process - by which the UK leaves the EU - without a vote in parliament. The prime minister announced on 28 August he wanted the five-week shutdown - a process known as prorogation - to start next week. This means MPs and peers will not return to parliament until 14 October for the Queen's Speech, when Mr Johnson says he will outline his \"exciting agenda\" for the new term. The latest case from Ms Miller - to challenge the legality of the prorogation - is being heard by the Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett and two other leading judges. Opening the hearing, Lord Pannick said Mr Johnson saw Parliament as a \"threat to the implementation of his policies\", in particular whether a deal could be made with the EU. He said the reason given by Mr Johnson for suspending Parliament - to introduce a new programme of legislation - did not require a five-week suspension. And he posed the question: \"If the prime minister can, unregulated by the courts, advise Her Majesty to prorogue Parliament for five weeks, then why would he not be able to advise Her Majesty to prorogue Parliament for a lengthier period of time?\" Lord Pannick also said that, in his submission, the prime minister \"has been very clear\" that he viewed Parliament as a \"nuisance\" and a \"detriment\". He pointed to a note in Mr Johnson's own handwriting which said the whole September session of Parliament was a rigmarole introduced to show the public that MPs were earning their crust - and he saw nothing \"especially shocking\" about this prorogation. Lord Pannick argued that this showed Mr Johnson did not understand the role of Parliament in proposing and considering legislation and holding the government to account during \"such a critical period\". Another document released to the court were the minutes of a Cabinet conference call on 28 August, in which Boris Johnson warned ministers that there was a \"high chance\" he would fail to get a new deal with the EU over Brexit. In a summary of final remarks about the progress of talks with Brussels, the minutes read: \"Concluding the prime minister said that progress with the EU should not be exaggerated but it was substantial. \"Whilst there was a good chance that a deal could be secured, there was also a high chance that it could not.\" Days earlier, in a BBC interview at the G7 summit, Mr Johnson had said that a deal was \"touch and go\". In his case, Lord Pannick went on to stress that the court was not being asked to express any view about the wisdom of the UK leaving the European Union, nor what action should be taken before 1 November. \"If the prorogation is declared unlawful, it will be entirely for Parliament to decide what to do when it sits during the relevant five weeks. \"Our case is concerned - and only concerned - with issues of law,\" he said. In response, Sir James Eadie QC, representing Mr Johnson, argued proroguing Parliament was an inherently political act - not a matter for the courts and law. He also said the sitting of Parliament was a matter of constitutional convention rather than law - and judges cannot tinker with conventions as they are a matter for political balance. Sir James rejected Gina Miller's lawyer's claim that prorogation was intended to deprive Parliament of an ability to legislate, specifically in relation to a no-deal Brexit. \"The last few days [in Westminster] indicate that that is just simply untenable in fact,\" he said, adding that recent events illustrated the \"political maelstrom into which the court is being invited\". Sir John Major, former Conservative prime minister, was given the go ahead to join her legal action and intervene in the case in writing. He believes Mr Johnson's move is aimed at preventing MPs from opposing a no-deal Brexit. Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC, who is Scotland's senior law officer, the Welsh government and shadow attorney general Shami Chakrabarti have also been given permission to intervene in writing. It is not possible to mount a legal challenge to the Queen's approval of the suspension but Sir John and Ms Miller believe they can legally challenge the advice the Queen's prime minister gives her. Today's legal battle between Gina Miller and the government - her second major constitutional challenge on the balance of power between ministers and Parliament - comes down to a headline question and what may be a very fine judgement. Did Boris Johnson manifestly abuse his power by advising the Queen to prorogue Parliament for an exceptional five weeks - and can judges do anything about it if he did? Ms Miller's QC, Lord Pannick, avoided suggesting that prime ministers don't have the right to halt Parliamentary business ahead of a Queen's Speech. He focused on the manner in which Mr Johnson went about this prorogation and its duration when \"time is of the essence\". The outcome may feel academic because of the progress of the no-deal Brexit-blocking bill in the Lords. But the Supreme Court could ultimately deliver a ground-breaking judgement on the sovereignty of Parliament. In Scotland, a group of politicians are attempting to overturn a court ruling made on Wednesday that Mr Johnson's plan to shut down parliament ahead of Brexit is, in fact, legal. Lord Doherty, sitting at the Court of Session, said the prime minister had not broken any laws by asking the Queen for a five-week suspension as it was for Parliament and the electorate to judge the prime minister's actions - not the courts. The group of more than 70 largely pro-Remain politicians, headed by SNP MP Joanna Cherry, argue that Mr Johnson is exceeding his powers and attempting to undermine democracy by avoiding parliamentary scrutiny before the UK leaves the EU on 31 October. After Lord Doherty's ruling, a UK government spokesman said: \"We welcome the court's decision and hope that those seeking to use the judiciary to frustrate the government take note and withdraw their cases.\" In Belfast, a campaigner for victims of the Troubles is due to bring a case on Friday arguing that no-deal could jeopardise the Northern Ireland peace process. The lawyers of Raymond McCord - whose son was murdered by the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force in 1997 - argue no-deal would endanger the Good Friday Agreement and suspending parliament is unconstitutional. At a preliminary hearing on Thursday, a lawyer for the government argued for a delay to the case, saying Hilary Benn's no-deal Brexit Bill had \"changed the paradigm\" and altered the need for an urgent judgment. But Mr McCord's lawyer said the case was ready to proceed and while it \"looked as if\" the bill would become law, \"we don't know\". He also said he was \"sorry to have to make the proposition\" that the government might not abide by the law.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 7397, "answer_start": 5702, "text": "In Scotland, a group of politicians are attempting to overturn a court ruling made on Wednesday that Mr Johnson's plan to shut down parliament ahead of Brexit is, in fact, legal. Lord Doherty, sitting at the Court of Session, said the prime minister had not broken any laws by asking the Queen for a five-week suspension as it was for Parliament and the electorate to judge the prime minister's actions - not the courts. The group of more than 70 largely pro-Remain politicians, headed by SNP MP Joanna Cherry, argue that Mr Johnson is exceeding his powers and attempting to undermine democracy by avoiding parliamentary scrutiny before the UK leaves the EU on 31 October. After Lord Doherty's ruling, a UK government spokesman said: \"We welcome the court's decision and hope that those seeking to use the judiciary to frustrate the government take note and withdraw their cases.\" In Belfast, a campaigner for victims of the Troubles is due to bring a case on Friday arguing that no-deal could jeopardise the Northern Ireland peace process. The lawyers of Raymond McCord - whose son was murdered by the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force in 1997 - argue no-deal would endanger the Good Friday Agreement and suspending parliament is unconstitutional. At a preliminary hearing on Thursday, a lawyer for the government argued for a delay to the case, saying Hilary Benn's no-deal Brexit Bill had \"changed the paradigm\" and altered the need for an urgent judgment. But Mr McCord's lawyer said the case was ready to proceed and while it \"looked as if\" the bill would become law, \"we don't know\". He also said he was \"sorry to have to make the proposition\" that the government might not abide by the law." } ], "id": "56_0", "question": "What other legal challenges are taking place?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has had his White House security clearance downgraded, US media are reporting. Mr Kushner, a senior adviser to the president, had been receiving top-level security briefings. However, background checks into Mr Kushner had still not been completed, so he had interim clearance only. He and other White House aides who have yet to receive permanent clearance will not now get top-level briefings. Mr Kushner, who is married to Mr Trump's daughter Ivanka, had access to the President's Daily Brief, a secret intelligence report. The moves were confirmed by Mr Kushner's lawyer to Politico, and by two unnamed officials to the Reuters news agency. Politico reported that the 37-year-old was informed of the decision on Friday. Politico quoted Mr Kushner's lawyer Abbe Lowell as saying that it would \"not affect Mr Kushner's ability to continue to do the very important work he has been assigned by the president\". A spokesperson for Mr Kushner told the BBC in a statement: \"Those involved in the process again have confirmed that there are dozens of people at Mr Kushner's level whose process is delayed, that it is not uncommon for these clearance reviews to take this long in a new administration, and that the current backlogs are now being addressed.\" It comes as the White House moves to impose greater discipline on access to secrets. General John Kelly, Mr Trump's chief of staff, said earlier this month that he would be limiting the number of people with top-level security clearance. It emerged that the president's former staff secretary, Rob Porter, had been able to work with interim security clearance despite allegations of domestic abuse. The news of the change in Mr Kushner's status followed the announcement hours earlier that his spokesman Josh Raffel was to leave the White House. Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that Mr Kushner's contacts with certain foreign government officials have raised concerns with the White House. The newspaper, citing current and former US officials familiar with intelligence reports on the matter, reported that officials in the United Arab Emirates, China, Israel and Mexico have privately discussed ways in which they could take advantage of Mr Kushner and his business arrangements. Mr Kushner was given a wide brief in his role as a White House adviser despite a lack of political experience. He was tasked with brokering a Middle East peace deal and liaising with Mexico. But he had faced problems with his background checks as he sought to obtain permanent security clearance. The wealthy New York real estate developer had to refile the national security questionnaire required of all prospective White House employees after making a number of omissions. Last October, the head of the National Background Investigations Bureau told Congress he has \"never seen that level of mistakes\" on any security clearance application. Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington Jared Kushner, who according to the Washington Post had requested more information from the intelligence community than any White House employee not on the National Security Council, has had his wings clipped - at least for now. The administration may insist that Mr Kushner can continue to work on his sweeping portfolio of duties unhindered. His lawyer, Abbe Lowell, may say that this is a normal process and there are no concerns. The reality, however, is that this is an embarrassing development for the presidential son-in-law. He no longer has access to the presidential daily briefing. And, when dealing with foreign officials, he won't have the most sensitive information about their interests and actions. The problem for the White House could extend beyond just Mr Kushner, however. According to an NBC News report, as of November more than 130 administration employees were working under temporary security clearances, including Ivanka Trump and White House counsel Don McGahn. Mr Kushner may be the first, and one of the most influential, individuals to be revealed to have had a security downgrade - but he may not be the last. And last week, it was reported that a senior Justice Department official had told the White House that their investigations would further delay Mr Kushner's security clearance. The information was reportedly passed on to the White House by Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general who is overseeing the special counsel investigating possible links between the Trump campaign and Russia. Two weeks ago, US Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said that presidential aides with interim security clearances should have only \"limited\" access to secret information.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2291, "answer_start": 576, "text": "The moves were confirmed by Mr Kushner's lawyer to Politico, and by two unnamed officials to the Reuters news agency. Politico reported that the 37-year-old was informed of the decision on Friday. Politico quoted Mr Kushner's lawyer Abbe Lowell as saying that it would \"not affect Mr Kushner's ability to continue to do the very important work he has been assigned by the president\". A spokesperson for Mr Kushner told the BBC in a statement: \"Those involved in the process again have confirmed that there are dozens of people at Mr Kushner's level whose process is delayed, that it is not uncommon for these clearance reviews to take this long in a new administration, and that the current backlogs are now being addressed.\" It comes as the White House moves to impose greater discipline on access to secrets. General John Kelly, Mr Trump's chief of staff, said earlier this month that he would be limiting the number of people with top-level security clearance. It emerged that the president's former staff secretary, Rob Porter, had been able to work with interim security clearance despite allegations of domestic abuse. The news of the change in Mr Kushner's status followed the announcement hours earlier that his spokesman Josh Raffel was to leave the White House. Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that Mr Kushner's contacts with certain foreign government officials have raised concerns with the White House. The newspaper, citing current and former US officials familiar with intelligence reports on the matter, reported that officials in the United Arab Emirates, China, Israel and Mexico have privately discussed ways in which they could take advantage of Mr Kushner and his business arrangements." } ], "id": "57_0", "question": "What is the latest?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The US Federal Reserve has raised its benchmark interest rate by 0.25% for only the third time in a decade. The central bank voted to raise its key rate target to a range of 0.75% to 1%. The Fed had been expected to raise rates after a robust February jobs report, solid pay gains, rising inflation and a dip in the unemployment rate to 4.7%. Federal Reserve policymakers are expected to increase rates a total of three times this year. The Fed aims to keep the cost of lending between banks within a specified band, which it does by buying or selling financial assets. It is raising that band by a quarter of a percent. Fed Chair Janet Yellen said the committee judged that a \"modest increase\" in the rate was appropriate \"in light of the economy's solid progress.\" \"Even after this increase, monetary policy remains accommodative, thus supporting some further strengthening in the job market, and a sustained return to 2% inflation,\" she added. The decision was approved with a 9-1 vote. Neel Kashkari, the head of the Fed's regional bank in Minneapolis, cast the dissenting vote. This is the second time the Fed has raised rates in three months. It signalled that further hikes this year will be gradual. The Fed's statement said its inflation target was \"symmetric,\" indicating that after a decade of below-target inflation, it could tolerate a quicker pace of price rises. Karishma Vaswani: Asia braces for more US rate rises Wall Street stock indexes jumped after the announcement, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing up 0.5%, 109 points at 20,946. The US dollar fell about 0.9% against the euro and more than 1% against the pound. The central bank's outlook for the economy changed little, with officials expecting economic growth of 2.1% for both this year and 2018, before slipping to 1.9% in 2019. Those forecasts are far below the 4% growth that President Donald Trump has said he can produce with his economic programme. But Ms Yellen told reporters that she didn't believe it is \"a point of conflict\" between the Fed and the Trump administration. \"We would certainly welcome stronger economic growth in the context of price stability, and if policies were put in place to speed growth... those would be very welcome changes that we would like to see,\" she said. Some economists think the next rate hike will be no earlier than June, given that the Fed probably wants time to assess the likelihood that Congress will pass Trump's ambitious program of tax cuts, deregulation and increased spending on infrastructure. Central banks in the US and Britain both have inflation targets of 2%, while for the European Central Bank the aim is \"below but close to\" that level. In all three, the headline inflation rate is there or thereabouts. And yet among these three it is only the Federal Reserve in the US that has taken the anti-inflation step of raising its interest rates from record lows. In the UK, the Bank of England expects inflation to rise above the target due to the decline in the pound after the EU referendum. It's reluctant to raise interest rates to fully offset that because of concern about the impact on jobs and economic growth. In the eurozone inflation is still quite subdued if you take out energy and food prices which are very volatile. So no move yet from either - and not looking very likely in the near future. Read more from Andrew Luke Bartholomew, an investment manager at Aberdeen Asset Management, said the Fed \"faces a tricky path from here\". The US economy may turn out to be stronger than expected, leaving the Fed playing catch-up, he said. \"Meanwhile, they're facing increasingly shrill calls for their independence to be curtailed. It's hard to imagine that the rest of this hiking cycle will go off without a hitch,\" he added. Kully Samra, UK managing director of Charles Schwab, said there were \"a lot of unknowns\" about the path of future US rate hikes. \"If White House plans for deregulation, tax cuts and more government spending are realised, then growth and inflation could be stronger than expected and lead to more hikes,\" he said. \"On the other hand, potential border taxes, trade tariffs and tighter monetary policy could slow growth and inflation,\" he added.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2537, "answer_start": 1431, "text": "Wall Street stock indexes jumped after the announcement, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing up 0.5%, 109 points at 20,946. The US dollar fell about 0.9% against the euro and more than 1% against the pound. The central bank's outlook for the economy changed little, with officials expecting economic growth of 2.1% for both this year and 2018, before slipping to 1.9% in 2019. Those forecasts are far below the 4% growth that President Donald Trump has said he can produce with his economic programme. But Ms Yellen told reporters that she didn't believe it is \"a point of conflict\" between the Fed and the Trump administration. \"We would certainly welcome stronger economic growth in the context of price stability, and if policies were put in place to speed growth... those would be very welcome changes that we would like to see,\" she said. Some economists think the next rate hike will be no earlier than June, given that the Fed probably wants time to assess the likelihood that Congress will pass Trump's ambitious program of tax cuts, deregulation and increased spending on infrastructure." } ], "id": "58_0", "question": "Trump conflict?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4226, "answer_start": 3378, "text": "Luke Bartholomew, an investment manager at Aberdeen Asset Management, said the Fed \"faces a tricky path from here\". The US economy may turn out to be stronger than expected, leaving the Fed playing catch-up, he said. \"Meanwhile, they're facing increasingly shrill calls for their independence to be curtailed. It's hard to imagine that the rest of this hiking cycle will go off without a hitch,\" he added. Kully Samra, UK managing director of Charles Schwab, said there were \"a lot of unknowns\" about the path of future US rate hikes. \"If White House plans for deregulation, tax cuts and more government spending are realised, then growth and inflation could be stronger than expected and lead to more hikes,\" he said. \"On the other hand, potential border taxes, trade tariffs and tighter monetary policy could slow growth and inflation,\" he added." } ], "id": "58_1", "question": "Plain sailing?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Ecuador has fined seven media companies for not publishing a story that it deemed of public interest. The state's media watchdog said the press had a duty to cover a story about the supposed offshore dealings of opposition politician and recent presidential candidate Guillermo Lasso. The investigation was published in an Argentine newspaper in March. The watchdog and the media companies have accused each other of censorship. Appeals are under way. The ruling was made against newspapers El Comercio, La Hora, Expreso and El Universo, and television channels Televicentro, Teleamazonas and Ecuavisa. The watchdog, known as Supercom, has fined the companies $3,750 (PS3,000), the equivalent of 10 journalists' basic salaries, it said. Supercom's superintendent Carlos Ochoa called the fines both a punishment and a motivation for improving journalistic practices. Pedro Valverde, a lawyer for El Universo newspaper, told the BBC he will be \"exhausting all administrative and judicial options to annul this absurd sanction\". The report, \"Lasso: the offshore tycoon\", was first published by Argentina's left-wing Pagina 12 newspaper, and was picked up by various other Ecuadorean news outlets ahead of the country's election on 2 April. Local free speech organisation Fundamedios said the government should not be fining the media. \"It is an act of censorship designed to give the government the role of editor of all media, deciding what to publish or not,\" said director Cesar Ricaurte. Supercom acts under the controversial communications law,. Introduced by President Rafael Correa in 2013, the law gives officials the power to sanction media outlets. The recent complaint against the media was filed by an organisation called the Citizen's Observatory for Quality Communications, on 27 March, after President Correa raised a complaint on his television show. The organisation said the various media organisations - some of the country's biggest - had failed to publish or investigate the offshore banking claims, which \"affected the voting rights of Ecuadoreans, since the possible crimes involved someone who aspired to be president\". However, some of the affected media have come forward to say they were bound by contradictory legislation. Mr Valverde referred to the Code of Democracy, which does not allow the media to publish works that might be seen as actively working for or against a candidate during an election period. Representatives of El Comercio newspaper also said the communications law has another clause - article 22 - which states that journalism must be verified, and it could not vouch for the Argentine investigation. Mr Lasso planned to revoke the communications law, had he won the election. The former banker narrowly lost to left-wing candidate Lenin Moreno. President-elect Moreno has also expressed reservations about the law, including after the seven fines were announced. He said he would like to speak to the press directly about it, according to media reports. President Correa has praised his law repeatedly, including in reference to this latest incident.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3097, "answer_start": 2647, "text": "Mr Lasso planned to revoke the communications law, had he won the election. The former banker narrowly lost to left-wing candidate Lenin Moreno. President-elect Moreno has also expressed reservations about the law, including after the seven fines were announced. He said he would like to speak to the press directly about it, according to media reports. President Correa has praised his law repeatedly, including in reference to this latest incident." } ], "id": "59_0", "question": "Will the law last?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The most comprehensive and detailed review of the state of nature has been published in Paris. Our environment correspondent Matt McGrath extracts the key messages. This phrase was uttered by Prof Sir Bob Watson who has chaired this report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). While Sir Bob went on to explain that there is still hope and much we can do to save nature, I think it's worth dwelling for a moment on just how much trouble we are in. Globally, two billion people rely on wood to meet their primary energy needs. Around 70% of cancer drugs are natural, or are synthetic products inspired by nature. Then there's all that water that nature cleans, all the food it provides, all the CO2 it absorbs, all the storms that it blocks. I could go on, but the picture is very plain. Humans are more dependent on nature now than at any time in our history. Over the past 50 years, as the world's population has doubled, we have pulled more people out of poverty than ever before. And how have we done it? By burning, poisoning and trashing large sections of the most biodiversity-rich lands and oceans. This has killed off thousands of species and now threatens a million more. \"Nature is changing in part because there's more of us and we are consuming more,\" said one of the IPBES co-ordinating lead authors, Dr Kate Brauman. \"As people become more affluent they have bigger footprints, they eat more they drive more and they fly more.\" One key message from the assessment is that we need to re-evaluate what we mean by the idea of a \"good life\". For centuries, in western culture, this has all been about accumulating wealth, working hard, making sacrifices for the benefits of our children. Progress, as defined in many families, has meant children earning more than their parents. More money, more things. \"We need to change the way we think about what a good life is, we need to change the social narrative that puts an emphasis on a good life depending on a high consumption and quick disposal,\" said Prof Sandra Diaz, one of the co-chairs of the IPBES report. \"We need to shift it to an idea of a fulfilling life that is more aligned with a good relationship with nature, and a good relationship with other people, with the public good. \"We need to change the stories in our heads, because they are the ones that are now enacted in decisions all the way from the individual up to government.\" She added: \"Changing that is not easy but this is what it would take to reach the better future for the children that are born this year.\" One of the major themes of this assessment is the term \"nature's contribution to people\". This is a central concept that the authors really want to drive home. While it looks like a bland bit of bureaucratese, it actually carries a lot of weight. For a long time economists have tried to encourage the idea that the value of nature was best expressed in monetary terms. They have argued that this makes it easier to explain to politicians and citizens that wetlands or pollinators matter because they have value and contribute to the economy in a real financial sense. The phrase they have used to capture this sense of the value of nature is \"ecosystems services\". But some ecologists argue that a financial definition is very damaging for nature, allowing it to be commodified and treated as just another good. This new assessment wants the world to move on from measuring nature's value in pounds, dollars or yen. It wants to ensure that the full value of natural resources are taken into account. \"If you have a natural forest it doesn't appear at all in your account books at national level, your wealth is not affected at all,\" said Ina Porras, from the International Institute for Environment and Development. \"The moment you allow the extraction of timber then your GDP will increase - it's only by allowing the destruction of this resource that the economy seems to be growing.\" \"What we need to do is change that because that forest is providing many other services that are simply not accounted, if you destroy it, looks as if you are increasing your wealth but you are not.\" One of the key differences in this report is that the authors have worked hard to include a broader range of knowledge than in many typically \"western\" scientific studies. They have sought out indigenous and local knowledge and given it due weight in the report. One key finding is that while nature is declining in lands managed by local communities, it is declining less rapidly than in other areas. The authors say that local knowledge and understanding on how to manage nature should be given more weight by governments. We can all learn from them. The Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, has seen evidence of this power of local knowledge in action. After the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) treaty was signed in 1994, there were expectations that hybrid varieties of maize from the US would swamp local, native breeds. \"The farmers there tell me that the locally adapted traditional varieties of maize do better under climate change with increasing droughts,\" says Dr Rinku Roy Chowdhury, from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, who has worked in the region. \"But they are not sure, so they are hedging their bets and investing in several different varieties. \"It is a really interesting process of decision-making under uncertainty which is we are all trying to do as scientists focused on global change. It is humbling and illuminating to see that we have different types of scientists in these local farmers, thinking and dealing with climate change.\" One key takeaway from this report is that political efforts to enshrine protection of nature have fallen desperately flat. Back in 2010, at a meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Aichi, Japan, delegates set themselves a series of targets for conservation for 2020. According to the new assessment, good progress has only been made on four of the 20 goals. The negative trends in species loss will also make the Sustainable Development Goals - the UN blueprint for addressing global challenges such as poverty, environmental degradation and peace - harder to achieve. Sold for a song: Rare birds captured for their tuneful voices Threat to food as biodiversity declines What would a world without humans be like? This will have real consequences for real people as they experience hunger, health issues, water scarcity and poverty in general. So is there any political progress on the horizon? Well, just as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) informed the Paris agreement on global warming in 2015, this IPBES report will inform the talks on a \"new deal for nature and people\". This is due to be negotiated at a key meeting in China next year. If a new global deal on nature is to be struck, then it will probably need the participation of heads of state. Right now, despite the evidence from the IPBES report, that seems a very big ask. Follow Matt on Twitter.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4190, "answer_start": 2604, "text": "One of the major themes of this assessment is the term \"nature's contribution to people\". This is a central concept that the authors really want to drive home. While it looks like a bland bit of bureaucratese, it actually carries a lot of weight. For a long time economists have tried to encourage the idea that the value of nature was best expressed in monetary terms. They have argued that this makes it easier to explain to politicians and citizens that wetlands or pollinators matter because they have value and contribute to the economy in a real financial sense. The phrase they have used to capture this sense of the value of nature is \"ecosystems services\". But some ecologists argue that a financial definition is very damaging for nature, allowing it to be commodified and treated as just another good. This new assessment wants the world to move on from measuring nature's value in pounds, dollars or yen. It wants to ensure that the full value of natural resources are taken into account. \"If you have a natural forest it doesn't appear at all in your account books at national level, your wealth is not affected at all,\" said Ina Porras, from the International Institute for Environment and Development. \"The moment you allow the extraction of timber then your GDP will increase - it's only by allowing the destruction of this resource that the economy seems to be growing.\" \"What we need to do is change that because that forest is providing many other services that are simply not accounted, if you destroy it, looks as if you are increasing your wealth but you are not.\"" } ], "id": "60_0", "question": "3 - The value of nature or the nature of value?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Twelve Thai boys trapped in a cave have exchanged emotional letters with their parents, for the first time since their ordeal began two weeks ago. \"Don't worry, we are all strong,\" one child said in a note. \"Teacher, don't give us lots of homework!\" he joked. The football coach who took the boys into the cave apologised to parents, but they wrote he was not to blame. Officials say that they have a window of up to four days before rains will make the rescue more difficult. The boys were exploring the cave when they became trapped by floodwaters on 23 June. The handwritten letters from the group were handed to British divers on Friday and released on the Thai Navy Seal Facebook page on Saturday. \"Don't worry about me, I'm safe.\" a boy nicknamed Pong said. Another wrote: \"Nick loves Mum and Dad and siblings. If I can get out, Mum and Dad please bring me mookatha (Thai barbecue) to eat.\" In his letter, the 25-year-old coach Ekkapol Chantawong, also known as Ake, said: \"Dear all kids' parents, now all of them are fine, the rescue team is treating us well. \"And I promise I will take care of the kids as best as I can... I also sincerely apologise to the kids' parents.\" In their letters, posted on the local government's Facebook page, several parents make clear that they do not blame the coach. \"Mums and dads are not angry at you. Thank you for helping take care of the kids,\" one said. Another reads: \"Tell Coach Ake: Don't think too much. We are not angry at him.\" It was the first communication since attempts to establish a phone line inside the cave failed earlier this week. Helier Cheung, BBC News, Maesai district The letters make for remarkable reading. Words of love, reassurance and encouragement are interspersed with talk of food the boys are craving - and birthday parties. At least two of the boys have had their birthdays while stuck inside the cave. One of them, Note, has just turned 15. At the MyWay garage, where Note's father works, some of the workers have known Note since he was born - and describe him as a smart kid who loves sport and helps his father with mechanical work over the holidays. They were touched by his letter - but still full of concern for the boys. One of them, Rinlinee Sombat, told the BBC: \"He writes just like his Mum. But I want to see him even more than I want to see his handwriting.\" Meanwhile, Ponrawee Tachavandee said he had spoken to Note's mother on Friday night - and she had been distraught since learning about the death of a Thai navy diver that day. He said she had told him that the \"navy Seal had practised for so long, and was so strong, but also died. How about a boy who has never dived before?\" The boys were found inside the cave by British rescue divers on Monday, 10 days after they went missing. They were perched on a rock shelf in a small chamber about 4km (2.5 miles) from the cave mouth. Teams of Thai and international divers have since supplied them with food, oxygen and medical attention. There are concerns about the falling oxygen level in the chamber, but officials say an air line into the cave has now been installed. The danger of their situation became clear when a former Thai navy diver died after delivering air tanks to the group on Friday. Above ground, a huge military and civilian operation is racing against the clock to bring the boys out. Monsoon rains are threatening further flooding in the coming weeks and month. On Saturday, the governor of the Chiang Rai region, where the cave is located, said the next three to four days were \"the most favourable time for the operation in terms of the water, the weather and the boys' health\". Narongsak Osottanakorn said that after that, further rains could imperil the group. \"The water level may rise to the area where the children are sitting and make the area less than 10 sq m [100 sq ft],\" he said. Another concern, he added, was the growing concentration of carbon dioxide exhaled by the boys and rescue workers. He gave no details about how the rescue might be carried out. Meanwhile, rescuers outside have dug more than 100 holes in an attempt to reach the cave by a direct route.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1594, "answer_start": 562, "text": "The handwritten letters from the group were handed to British divers on Friday and released on the Thai Navy Seal Facebook page on Saturday. \"Don't worry about me, I'm safe.\" a boy nicknamed Pong said. Another wrote: \"Nick loves Mum and Dad and siblings. If I can get out, Mum and Dad please bring me mookatha (Thai barbecue) to eat.\" In his letter, the 25-year-old coach Ekkapol Chantawong, also known as Ake, said: \"Dear all kids' parents, now all of them are fine, the rescue team is treating us well. \"And I promise I will take care of the kids as best as I can... I also sincerely apologise to the kids' parents.\" In their letters, posted on the local government's Facebook page, several parents make clear that they do not blame the coach. \"Mums and dads are not angry at you. Thank you for helping take care of the kids,\" one said. Another reads: \"Tell Coach Ake: Don't think too much. We are not angry at him.\" It was the first communication since attempts to establish a phone line inside the cave failed earlier this week." } ], "id": "61_0", "question": "What do the letters say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3245, "answer_start": 2677, "text": "The boys were found inside the cave by British rescue divers on Monday, 10 days after they went missing. They were perched on a rock shelf in a small chamber about 4km (2.5 miles) from the cave mouth. Teams of Thai and international divers have since supplied them with food, oxygen and medical attention. There are concerns about the falling oxygen level in the chamber, but officials say an air line into the cave has now been installed. The danger of their situation became clear when a former Thai navy diver died after delivering air tanks to the group on Friday." } ], "id": "61_1", "question": "What is the situation inside the cave?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4143, "answer_start": 3246, "text": "Above ground, a huge military and civilian operation is racing against the clock to bring the boys out. Monsoon rains are threatening further flooding in the coming weeks and month. On Saturday, the governor of the Chiang Rai region, where the cave is located, said the next three to four days were \"the most favourable time for the operation in terms of the water, the weather and the boys' health\". Narongsak Osottanakorn said that after that, further rains could imperil the group. \"The water level may rise to the area where the children are sitting and make the area less than 10 sq m [100 sq ft],\" he said. Another concern, he added, was the growing concentration of carbon dioxide exhaled by the boys and rescue workers. He gave no details about how the rescue might be carried out. Meanwhile, rescuers outside have dug more than 100 holes in an attempt to reach the cave by a direct route." } ], "id": "61_2", "question": "When could the group be rescued?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Emmanuel Macron's achievements in this presidential election should not be underestimated. He has become France's youngest president ever, and the world's youngest democratic head of state. This is an astounding accomplishment for someone who was unknown five years ago and has never held elected office before. Despite the rise in social conservatism and extremism in France, he successfully ran on an open-border, pro-trade platform to defeat far-right Eurosceptic Marine Le Pen. It's one thing to get elected, but another to reform a country that has resisted any major economic change over the past 40 years. When Great Britain was showing the way to economic reform in the 1980s and the 1990s with Thatcherism and Blairism, France was looking backwards. Little has changed since then. Can it change now with a brand-new president? Will Mr Macron be the one to transform France, especially its stagnating economy? In a recent book and in speeches, he has called for a \"revolution\". One of his key proposals is a simplification of the Labour Code, a 3,600-page doorstop of a book that regulates every aspect of employment relations. Mr Macron also wants to cut the corporate tax from 33% to 25%, as well as encourage entrepreneurship and risk-taking. This sets him on a collision course with French labour unions, most of which have grown increasingly radical as their membership has dwindled in recent decades Ambitious and bold, he may be able to stand up to strikers and protesters with more determination than previous presidents. And having clearly defeated the Left, which is expected to retain only about 10% of the seats in the lower chamber of Parliament, he can also expect little political opposition to his liberal-leaning reforms. In addition, his candidacy has been backed by many top civil servants - a group Mr Macron joined after graduating from the elite Ecole Nationale d'Administration. In the classic BBC series Yes Minister, he would be an interesting mix of Jim Hacker, the idealist minister, and Sir Humphrey Appleby, the mandarin whose aim is to ensure that nothing changes. If Mr Macron manages to push his reforms while using his civil service background to fight the conservatism of the administration, he could indeed reform France in depth. Success is however far from certain, especially since Mr Macron's reformism seems to be weak on a number of key issues. The main open question regards public spending. France has the highest level of government expenditure in the OECD group of industrial countries. It is the only European OECD member that increased public spending between 2010 and 2014 (before inflation). Mr Macron is not as bold on this issue as he is on others. His aim is only to curb the increase in public spending. But if he doesn't significantly bring down spending itself, he will have no leeway to push through some of his other reforms. He will find it difficult to be a French Tony Blair without the radical legacy of a Margaret Thatcher as a foundation. Mr Macron's political record also points to ambivalence towards meaningful reform. As a senior aide to Francois Hollande from 2012 to 2014, he led a team of economic advisers that implemented the largest tax hikes of the previous presidency. It's hard to call that economic liberalism. Between 2014 and 2016, when he was economy minister, he implemented a reform (known as the \"Macron law\") whose key feature was allowing the bus lines to compete with rail. This is not much of a track record, given the ambition of his current presidential agenda and what is at stake today. The real nature of Mr Macron's reformism will probably become clearer in the coming weeks. First, his new party, La Republique en Marche, will unveil its candidates in parliamentary elections in June. Those revealed so far lean strongly to the left, with many coming from the reformist faction of the Socialist Party. Another unknown is the coalition he will eventually form, as his party is unlikely to win a majority. Should he fail to govern with other reformers, he could be unable to achieve any change at all. Many of Mr Macron's proposals could help France overcome years of stagnation and self-doubt. But he needs to turn brave talk into urgent action. Backed by a solid mandate and with the opposition in disarray, he has a unique opportunity to carry out substantial reform. Whether he seizes it remains to be seen. Alexis Vintray is editor of the online political journal Contrepoints.org", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3587, "answer_start": 2274, "text": "Success is however far from certain, especially since Mr Macron's reformism seems to be weak on a number of key issues. The main open question regards public spending. France has the highest level of government expenditure in the OECD group of industrial countries. It is the only European OECD member that increased public spending between 2010 and 2014 (before inflation). Mr Macron is not as bold on this issue as he is on others. His aim is only to curb the increase in public spending. But if he doesn't significantly bring down spending itself, he will have no leeway to push through some of his other reforms. He will find it difficult to be a French Tony Blair without the radical legacy of a Margaret Thatcher as a foundation. Mr Macron's political record also points to ambivalence towards meaningful reform. As a senior aide to Francois Hollande from 2012 to 2014, he led a team of economic advisers that implemented the largest tax hikes of the previous presidency. It's hard to call that economic liberalism. Between 2014 and 2016, when he was economy minister, he implemented a reform (known as the \"Macron law\") whose key feature was allowing the bus lines to compete with rail. This is not much of a track record, given the ambition of his current presidential agenda and what is at stake today." } ], "id": "62_0", "question": "Revolution or grand illusion?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Syrian rebels have begun withdrawing from the last big, besieged enclave that they held in the war-torn country. Hundreds of fighters have been boarding buses along with their families in a pocket of territory lying in central Syria, between Homs and Hama. Under a deal with the government's Russian allies, the militants have been given safe passage to opposition-controlled territory in northern Syria. It is the latest rebel enclave to give in after a long siege. The only significant areas of Syria still in rebel hands lie along its borders in the far north and the far south. Terms were hammered out at marathon talks between Free Syria Army factions and Russian generals in the Homs countryside on Wednesday, Reuters news agency reports. Rebel heavy weapons are being surrendered but rebel fighters are being allowed to leave with light arms, on buses going to rebel-controlled Idlib province in the north-east. Russian military police are meant to guard the buses and protect the mainly Sunni Muslim civilians who remain in the former enclave from sectarian revenge attacks by Alawites living nearby. The enclave, which includes the town of Rastan, was heavily bombed by Russian aircraft before the deal was agreed, according to local people. \"They left rebels with no option after bombing civilians and giving them no choice either to submit or obliterate their areas and make civilians pay the price,\" Abul Aziz al Barazi, one of the civilian opposition negotiators, told Reuters. The evacuation is expected to take two days and see thousands of people leave on the buses, which snaked out of Rastan on Monday. After seven years of war, the Assad government, backed by Russian and Iranian military muscle, controls much of central Syria again, including the second city, Aleppo. The fall of the enclave between Homs and Hama secures for the government an important highway which was closed for years by the war. The M5 links Aleppo to the capital Damascus through Homs. Rebel forces are now concentrated in Idlib, where tens of thousands of fighters and their families arrived from the former Eastern Ghouta enclave last month. Rebels also still control parts of Deraa province in the far south-west. Elsewhere in the country, Turkey, alarmed by the growth of Kurdish influence in Syria, recently seized the north-western Afrin region controlled by the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia. Nearby, the US continues to support the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces in their continuing operation against the Islamic State group. Over seven years of war, more than 400,000 people have been killed or reported missing, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. More than half the population of 22 million have been driven from their homes with at least 6.1 million Syrians internally displaced, and another 5.6 million living abroad, the vast majority of them in neighbouring countries like Lebanon.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1620, "answer_start": 582, "text": "Terms were hammered out at marathon talks between Free Syria Army factions and Russian generals in the Homs countryside on Wednesday, Reuters news agency reports. Rebel heavy weapons are being surrendered but rebel fighters are being allowed to leave with light arms, on buses going to rebel-controlled Idlib province in the north-east. Russian military police are meant to guard the buses and protect the mainly Sunni Muslim civilians who remain in the former enclave from sectarian revenge attacks by Alawites living nearby. The enclave, which includes the town of Rastan, was heavily bombed by Russian aircraft before the deal was agreed, according to local people. \"They left rebels with no option after bombing civilians and giving them no choice either to submit or obliterate their areas and make civilians pay the price,\" Abul Aziz al Barazi, one of the civilian opposition negotiators, told Reuters. The evacuation is expected to take two days and see thousands of people leave on the buses, which snaked out of Rastan on Monday." } ], "id": "63_0", "question": "How was the evacuation agreed?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2926, "answer_start": 1621, "text": "After seven years of war, the Assad government, backed by Russian and Iranian military muscle, controls much of central Syria again, including the second city, Aleppo. The fall of the enclave between Homs and Hama secures for the government an important highway which was closed for years by the war. The M5 links Aleppo to the capital Damascus through Homs. Rebel forces are now concentrated in Idlib, where tens of thousands of fighters and their families arrived from the former Eastern Ghouta enclave last month. Rebels also still control parts of Deraa province in the far south-west. Elsewhere in the country, Turkey, alarmed by the growth of Kurdish influence in Syria, recently seized the north-western Afrin region controlled by the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia. Nearby, the US continues to support the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces in their continuing operation against the Islamic State group. Over seven years of war, more than 400,000 people have been killed or reported missing, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. More than half the population of 22 million have been driven from their homes with at least 6.1 million Syrians internally displaced, and another 5.6 million living abroad, the vast majority of them in neighbouring countries like Lebanon." } ], "id": "63_1", "question": "Where does this leave the war?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Leading opposition politician Imran Khan has promised to create a \"new Pakistan\" ahead of general elections this summer. What are the former cricketer's prospects - and who are the \"electables\" he hopes will help him? Mr Khan addressed a rally of tens of thousands of supporters in the eastern city of Lahore, where he launched his party's campaign. No date for the vote has been announced but it is expected to take place in July or August. Mr Khan told the crowd he would create a Pakistan where all citizens were held accountable irrespective of their backgrounds. He also said he wanted to improve access to education and healthcare, as well as promote tax collection and reduce corruption. His PTI party currently has 32 parliamentary seats, compared with the 186 of the ruling PML-N party. Recent opinion polls also suggest the PTI is less popular than the PML-N, although the margin has narrowed since the last election in 2013. \"Opinion polls can be extremely misleading,\" Mr Khan told the BBC in an interview. Mr Khan has made fighting corruption his party's central pitch. \"The way Pakistan is headed, the whole issue about corruption, the issue about governance... I believe that the election campaign will swing the big undecided vote towards the PTI,\" he told the BBC. The former prime minister and head of the PML-N, Nawaz Sharif, is currently on trial in an anti-corruption court. A verdict is expected in the coming weeks, which could see him sent to jail. He was disqualified from office last year following an inquiry into his family's finances - which Imran Khan campaigned for. However, Mr Sharif remains a popular figure and has held a number of large rallies since his disqualification. Supporters of Mr Sharif claim Pakistan's military establishment secretly pushed for his removal as they disagreed over key issues such as the country's relationship with India. Both the Pakistani army and Imran Khan deny that. Mr Khan alleged that the PML-N were themselves sponsored by the military in the 1990s. He added: \"The current military chief, Gen Bajwa, is probably the most pro-democratic man we have ever seen.\" The military has directly ruled Pakistan for nearly half its existence, and it has exerted a strong influence throughout much of the rest of the country's lifespan. Politics in the country are often seen through the lens of civil-military relations - but Mr Khan told the BBC he had \"no concern\" about the military's role in Pakistani society. Mr Khan has faced accusations of being soft on Islamist extremism, at one stage earning the nickname \"Taliban Khan\". He strongly rejects the claims and says he has merely advocated peace talks with insurgent groups as a way of resolving conflict within Pakistan. When asked by the BBC whether Pakistan would be more or less \"liberal\" were he to be elected prime minister, he dismissed the question. \"Pakistan's issue is nothing to do with liberalism or fundamentalism. Pakistan has an issue of governance,\" he said. \"We have 25 million children out of school, we have the highest child mortality rate in the world. This is the West looking upon Pakistan as a liberalism and fundamentalism issue. \"It is not an issue. Every human society has its extremists and its liberals.\" On international affairs Mr Khan, like other Pakistani politicians, has denied US allegations that the country is providing \"safe havens\" for the Afghan Taliban and its allies. At the Lahore rally, a senior politician from Mr Khan's party led a chant proclaiming, \"anyone who is a friend of the US is a traitor\". Mr Khan told the BBC: \"The US has had the worst Afghan policy. For 16 years they've been trying to use a military solution and they failed. \"Where are the safe havens? They should point them out - 70,000 Pakistanis have died fighting the US war.\" \"Electables\" are politicians with their own personal vote banks, who are not tied ideologically to a political party. Analysts say it is not clear what the impact would be on levels of support for the PML-N, if Mr Sharif were convicted in his ongoing anti-corruption trial. Some believe it could boost support for him as a \"martyr\". Others say it could lead to defections of so-called \"electables\" to Mr Khan's PTI. \"There are some electables who have a good track record,\" Mr Khan said. \"Especially in rural areas you have to have someone who has a network to win the election.\" Mr Khan said he would not allow \"electables\" with tarnished political records to join the party. Senior Pakistani journalist Iftikhar Ahmad, from the Daily Jang newspaper, said he believed there were around 60 such candidates in constituencies in Punjab alone who might switch allegiance to the PTI if they deemed it in their interest. The key battleground between Mr Khan and the PML-N will be the province of Punjab, which holds more than half of the 272 directly-elected seats in the Pakistani parliament. Lahore, where Mr Khan launched his election campaign on Sunday, is the capital of Punjab.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 694, "answer_start": 218, "text": "Mr Khan addressed a rally of tens of thousands of supporters in the eastern city of Lahore, where he launched his party's campaign. No date for the vote has been announced but it is expected to take place in July or August. Mr Khan told the crowd he would create a Pakistan where all citizens were held accountable irrespective of their backgrounds. He also said he wanted to improve access to education and healthcare, as well as promote tax collection and reduce corruption." } ], "id": "64_0", "question": "What's Imran Khan promising?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1018, "answer_start": 695, "text": "His PTI party currently has 32 parliamentary seats, compared with the 186 of the ruling PML-N party. Recent opinion polls also suggest the PTI is less popular than the PML-N, although the margin has narrowed since the last election in 2013. \"Opinion polls can be extremely misleading,\" Mr Khan told the BBC in an interview." } ], "id": "64_1", "question": "What are his chances?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1708, "answer_start": 1019, "text": "Mr Khan has made fighting corruption his party's central pitch. \"The way Pakistan is headed, the whole issue about corruption, the issue about governance... I believe that the election campaign will swing the big undecided vote towards the PTI,\" he told the BBC. The former prime minister and head of the PML-N, Nawaz Sharif, is currently on trial in an anti-corruption court. A verdict is expected in the coming weeks, which could see him sent to jail. He was disqualified from office last year following an inquiry into his family's finances - which Imran Khan campaigned for. However, Mr Sharif remains a popular figure and has held a number of large rallies since his disqualification." } ], "id": "64_2", "question": "How big an issue is corruption?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3811, "answer_start": 2477, "text": "Mr Khan has faced accusations of being soft on Islamist extremism, at one stage earning the nickname \"Taliban Khan\". He strongly rejects the claims and says he has merely advocated peace talks with insurgent groups as a way of resolving conflict within Pakistan. When asked by the BBC whether Pakistan would be more or less \"liberal\" were he to be elected prime minister, he dismissed the question. \"Pakistan's issue is nothing to do with liberalism or fundamentalism. Pakistan has an issue of governance,\" he said. \"We have 25 million children out of school, we have the highest child mortality rate in the world. This is the West looking upon Pakistan as a liberalism and fundamentalism issue. \"It is not an issue. Every human society has its extremists and its liberals.\" On international affairs Mr Khan, like other Pakistani politicians, has denied US allegations that the country is providing \"safe havens\" for the Afghan Taliban and its allies. At the Lahore rally, a senior politician from Mr Khan's party led a chant proclaiming, \"anyone who is a friend of the US is a traitor\". Mr Khan told the BBC: \"The US has had the worst Afghan policy. For 16 years they've been trying to use a military solution and they failed. \"Where are the safe havens? They should point them out - 70,000 Pakistanis have died fighting the US war.\"" } ], "id": "64_3", "question": "Where does Mr Khan stand on extremism?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4727, "answer_start": 3812, "text": "\"Electables\" are politicians with their own personal vote banks, who are not tied ideologically to a political party. Analysts say it is not clear what the impact would be on levels of support for the PML-N, if Mr Sharif were convicted in his ongoing anti-corruption trial. Some believe it could boost support for him as a \"martyr\". Others say it could lead to defections of so-called \"electables\" to Mr Khan's PTI. \"There are some electables who have a good track record,\" Mr Khan said. \"Especially in rural areas you have to have someone who has a network to win the election.\" Mr Khan said he would not allow \"electables\" with tarnished political records to join the party. Senior Pakistani journalist Iftikhar Ahmad, from the Daily Jang newspaper, said he believed there were around 60 such candidates in constituencies in Punjab alone who might switch allegiance to the PTI if they deemed it in their interest." } ], "id": "64_4", "question": "So who are the 'electables'?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4990, "answer_start": 4728, "text": "The key battleground between Mr Khan and the PML-N will be the province of Punjab, which holds more than half of the 272 directly-elected seats in the Pakistani parliament. Lahore, where Mr Khan launched his election campaign on Sunday, is the capital of Punjab." } ], "id": "64_5", "question": "Where will the vote be decided?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Unmarried foreign couples will now be allowed to rent hotel rooms together in Saudi Arabia as part of a new visa regime announced by the religiously conservative kingdom. Women will also be allowed to stay in hotel rooms alone. Couples previously had to prove they were married before getting a hotel room. The government move comes amid efforts by Saudi Arabia to grow its tourism industry. In the past, couples had to provide documents proving marriage, but now these rules have been relaxed for foreigners. \"All Saudi nationals are asked to show family ID or proof of relationship on checking into hotels,\" the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage said in a statement. \"This is not required of foreign tourists. All women, including Saudis, can book and stay in hotels alone, providing ID on check-in.\" The new visa regulations state that female tourists are not required to fully cover up but are still expected to dress modestly. Alcohol remains banned. Long seen as one of the strictest places on earth, Saudi Arabia is trying to soften its image in the eyes of foreign tourists and investors. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has recently made some substantial changes in the ultra-conservative kingdom. These include ending a ban on female drivers and allowing women to travel abroad without a male guardian's permission. But these changes have been overshadowed by highly controversial issues including the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Simon Calder, senior travel editor at The Independent, said that the relaxing of visa regulations would likely increase the number of people travelling to the kingdom. \"Vastly simplifying the bureaucracy of obtaining a visa should lead to an immediate surge in visitor numbers - initially, I imagine, from those with an interest in the Arab world and its heritage,\" he told the BBC.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 972, "answer_start": 392, "text": "In the past, couples had to provide documents proving marriage, but now these rules have been relaxed for foreigners. \"All Saudi nationals are asked to show family ID or proof of relationship on checking into hotels,\" the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage said in a statement. \"This is not required of foreign tourists. All women, including Saudis, can book and stay in hotels alone, providing ID on check-in.\" The new visa regulations state that female tourists are not required to fully cover up but are still expected to dress modestly. Alcohol remains banned." } ], "id": "65_0", "question": "What are the new changes?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "After five days of debate on Theresa May's Brexit agreement, MPs will finally vote on the deal later. The final day of debate will end with a speech from the prime minister at about 18:20 GMT. But before the vote on the Brexit agreement happens, MPs will get a chance to reshape, or reject, the deal by voting on a series of amendments to it, from about 19:00 GMT. This will start with votes on three or four backbench amendments that could reshape the deal. Each amendment will take about 15 minutes. The vote on the withdrawal agreement itself is unlikely to happen before 20:00 and is expected to be followed by a statement from Mrs May. There will be live updates on the BBC News website and it will be broadcast on the BBC News channel or watch BBC Parliament live on BBC iPlayer. Amendments give MPs the chance to reshape, or reject, the deal. Commons Speaker John Bercow has selected four amendments to be put to the vote: Labour frontbench amendment - Rejects the deal because it fails to provide a permanent customs union and \"strong single market deal\", as set out in Labour's \"six tests\" - Rejects leaving with no deal - Resolves to \"pursue every option\" that prevents either no-deal or leaving on the basis of the current deal SNP and Plaid Cymru amendment - Declines to approve Theresa May's Brexit deal \"in line with the views of the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly that they would be damaging for Scotland, Wales and the nations and regions of the UK as a whole\" - Calls for the UK's departure from the EU to be delayed until another withdrawal deal is agreed. Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh's amendment - Makes clear the Northern Ireland backstop is temporary and should remain temporary - Calls for assurance that, if the backstop doesn't end by the close of 2021, this will be treated as a fundamental change of circumstances and would terminate the Withdrawal Treaty on 1 January 2022 - Backed by 15 other Tory Brexiteers. Conservative MP John Baron's amendment - Gives the UK the right to terminate the Northern Ireland backstop without the agreement of the EU - Amendment backed by cross-party group of Brexiteers, including 12 Conservatives, one independent and one DUP MP. John Bercow told MPs that if they back Sir Edward Leigh's amendment, John Baron's amendment will not be voted on. - You can see the full text of the motion and the amendments put down by MPs here. There is a question mark over how far the government's withdrawal agreement could be modified by MPs before it no longer has force under international law, or the EU judges it to be in breach of what was agreed by Mrs May. The government had indicated it would back an amendment proposed by Conservative MP Hugo Swire, which accepted the government's deal as the EU Withdrawal Bill but included provisions to: - Make the government report to Parliament in March 2020 on the status of the arrangements to supersede the Northern Ireland backstop. This is the controversial \"insurance policy\" aimed at preventing the return of a physical border in Northern Ireland if the UK and EU have not agreed on a new trade deal by December 2020 - Give Parliament a vote on whether to extend the 21-month post-Brexit transition period, which would end in December 2020 - Give Parliament a vote on whether to implement the backstop - Impose \"a duty\" on the government to agree a future relationship with the EU, or alternative arrangements, within one year of the backstop coming into force. But Speaker Bercow has not selected this amendment to be put to the vote, although MPs will be able to refer to it during the debate.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 640, "answer_start": 102, "text": "The final day of debate will end with a speech from the prime minister at about 18:20 GMT. But before the vote on the Brexit agreement happens, MPs will get a chance to reshape, or reject, the deal by voting on a series of amendments to it, from about 19:00 GMT. This will start with votes on three or four backbench amendments that could reshape the deal. Each amendment will take about 15 minutes. The vote on the withdrawal agreement itself is unlikely to happen before 20:00 and is expected to be followed by a statement from Mrs May." } ], "id": "66_0", "question": "What time will the vote happen?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 785, "answer_start": 641, "text": "There will be live updates on the BBC News website and it will be broadcast on the BBC News channel or watch BBC Parliament live on BBC iPlayer." } ], "id": "66_1", "question": "How can I watch the debate and the vote?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3616, "answer_start": 786, "text": "Amendments give MPs the chance to reshape, or reject, the deal. Commons Speaker John Bercow has selected four amendments to be put to the vote: Labour frontbench amendment - Rejects the deal because it fails to provide a permanent customs union and \"strong single market deal\", as set out in Labour's \"six tests\" - Rejects leaving with no deal - Resolves to \"pursue every option\" that prevents either no-deal or leaving on the basis of the current deal SNP and Plaid Cymru amendment - Declines to approve Theresa May's Brexit deal \"in line with the views of the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly that they would be damaging for Scotland, Wales and the nations and regions of the UK as a whole\" - Calls for the UK's departure from the EU to be delayed until another withdrawal deal is agreed. Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh's amendment - Makes clear the Northern Ireland backstop is temporary and should remain temporary - Calls for assurance that, if the backstop doesn't end by the close of 2021, this will be treated as a fundamental change of circumstances and would terminate the Withdrawal Treaty on 1 January 2022 - Backed by 15 other Tory Brexiteers. Conservative MP John Baron's amendment - Gives the UK the right to terminate the Northern Ireland backstop without the agreement of the EU - Amendment backed by cross-party group of Brexiteers, including 12 Conservatives, one independent and one DUP MP. John Bercow told MPs that if they back Sir Edward Leigh's amendment, John Baron's amendment will not be voted on. - You can see the full text of the motion and the amendments put down by MPs here. There is a question mark over how far the government's withdrawal agreement could be modified by MPs before it no longer has force under international law, or the EU judges it to be in breach of what was agreed by Mrs May. The government had indicated it would back an amendment proposed by Conservative MP Hugo Swire, which accepted the government's deal as the EU Withdrawal Bill but included provisions to: - Make the government report to Parliament in March 2020 on the status of the arrangements to supersede the Northern Ireland backstop. This is the controversial \"insurance policy\" aimed at preventing the return of a physical border in Northern Ireland if the UK and EU have not agreed on a new trade deal by December 2020 - Give Parliament a vote on whether to extend the 21-month post-Brexit transition period, which would end in December 2020 - Give Parliament a vote on whether to implement the backstop - Impose \"a duty\" on the government to agree a future relationship with the EU, or alternative arrangements, within one year of the backstop coming into force. But Speaker Bercow has not selected this amendment to be put to the vote, although MPs will be able to refer to it during the debate." } ], "id": "66_2", "question": "What are the amendments?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson is facing growing criticism over his remark that Muslim women wearing the burka \"look like letter boxes\". Dominic Grieve, the ex-attorney general, said he would quit the party if Mr Johnson became leader. Ex-Tory chairwoman Baroness Warsi said Mr Johnson's remarks could trigger a rise in hate crime. Senior Tories have urged him to apologise but he has not done so, and has stood by his comments. In a Daily Telegraph article, he said full-face veils should not be banned, but it was \"absolutely ridiculous\" women chose to \"go around looking like letter boxes\". He also compared them to looking like \"bank robbers\". A source close to the former London mayor has said: \"We must not fall into the trap of shutting down the debate on difficult issues. \"We have to call it out. If we fail to speak up for liberal values then we are simply yielding ground to reactionaries and extremists.\" But, speaking on BBC Radio 4's The World at One, Mr Grieve - a former Remain campaigner who has previously clashed with Mr Johnson over Brexit - said his behaviour was \"very embarrassing\". Mr Grieve said he would \"without the slightest doubt\", quit the Tories if Mr Johnson became leader, \"because I don't regard him as a fit and proper person to lead a political party\". The leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Ruth Davidson, has also backed calls for an apology over what she called \"gratuitously offensive\" comments. Speaking at an event in North Berwick, East Lothian, she said: \"This wasn't an off-the-cuff slip, he wrote a column, he knew exactly what he was doing and I think it crossed from being provocative and starting a debate and actually it became rude and gratuitous. \"It's also not been shown through history that when men make sweeping statements about what women should or shouldn't wear that it goes well for them. \"I think he should apologise for them.\" Earlier Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright said there was no reason not to have a \"robust conversation\" about the subject, but added: \"We're not talking to our friends in the pub. We are public figures and we have an additional obligation to be careful.\" A former Tory chairman, Lord Pickles, said Mr Johnson, who was foreign secretary until resigning last month over Brexit, risked \"closing down\" the debate with his \"illiberal language\". Supporters of Mr Johnson say the row is politically-motivated and that other senior Tories have made similar remarks without such criticism. By Jonathan Blake, BBC political correspondent By saying what he did, in the way he said it, Boris Johnson was guaranteed to provoke a reaction. The question of what Muslim women choose to wear in public is a sensitive one, around which most politicians tread very carefully. But Boris Johnson is not most politicians. And by using language you rarely hear in the normal course of political debate, the former foreign secretary has attracted attention and criticism. If it was his intention to remind everyone that Boris is still Boris, not afraid to say what he thinks, despite being out of government and away on holiday, it was not without risk. Figures show a rise in Islamophobic attacks and the Conservative party faces criticism for not addressing anti-Muslim prejudice in its own ranks. In this context, many feel he has picked the wrong time to tackle the wrong issue. But as ever, being outspoken is at once appealing to Boris Johnson's supporters and distasteful to his detractors. Mr Johnson, who is the current MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, has long been seen as a potential candidate for the leadership of the Conservative Party. He fronted the successful Leave campaign in the 2016 EU referendum, and resigned as foreign secretary last month in protest at Theresa May's Brexit plans. Writing in the Guardian, Baroness Warsi said Mr Johnson's remarks were \"indefensible\" and \"have no place in the modern Conservative Party\". She said, although he was setting out a liberal position on the burka, he was doing it in an \"alt-right\" way, and using Muslim women as \"political fodder... to stake out a leadership bid\". \"Johnson's words... send out a message that Muslim women are fair game,\" she wrote. But mother-of-seven Tahira Noor, who has been wearing a burka for 20 years, said it was \"100% my choice\" and Mr Johnson's comments showed a \"lack of knowledge\". She told BBC Radio 5 Live: \"In today's day and age, the majority of the women who wear the burka are born and brought up in this country, are educated in this country, they've been to colleges, universities, and have understood why they want to do what they're doing. \"They're under no oppression, they're not doing it because their husbands want them to or their fathers want them to.\" Ms Noor has four daughters and none of them wears a burka, adding: \"It's not a must, it's not an obligation.\" Sahar Al-Faifi, from Cardiff, who wears the niqab, told BBC News: \"I absolutely have no problem with anyone disagreeing with my choice to wear it and criticising it. \"But when you demonise and dehumanise a minority, who happen to be women of colour, I have a problem with this. \"It's not for the state, it's not for the government and it's definitely not for middle-aged white men to tell me what to wear and what not to.\" Tory MP for Mansfield, Ben Bradley, said it was not the language he would have used, but added: \"Ultimately he is a journalist... and journalists want their pieces to be read. \"They want people to talk about what they have written [and] I would say that is probably the motivation.\" Mr Johnson's former adviser Munira Mirza said Mr Johnson's views on the burka had been \"entirely consistent\" and other Conservative politicians had expressed the same view, without being called Islamophobic. In 2013 former Justice Secretary Ken Clarke - who also opposed a ban on the public wearing of burkas - said they should not be worn while giving evidence in court. He referred to burkas as a \"peculiar costume\" and a \"kind of bag\". Ms Mirza added: \"The reality is there is a political fight here. People who frankly couldn't care less about the issues that Muslim women face are piling into Boris because Boris said it.\" Conservative MP Conor Burns also defended Mr Johnson, accusing his political colleagues of \"bandwagon jumping\". The member for Bournemouth West tweeted those who criticised the former foreign secretary \"clearly didn't understand\" his comments. By BBC home affairs correspondent Dominic Casciani Last year, Zaynab Hussein, a mother from Leicester, was left fighting for her life after a man she didn't know smashed into her with his car - and then ran over her again. She was attacked because she was a Muslim. Tell Mama, the national organisation that collects anti-Muslim attack statistics, says that the majority of street victims of such abuse and violence are women, for the same reason that Mrs Hussein was singled out: some Muslim women are easily identifiable by their mode of dress - and therefore easy to target. Seven years ago Baroness Warsi said prejudice against Muslims had passed the \"dinner table test\". And Mr Johnson's critics regard his \"letter box\" and \"bank robber\" comments as part of the problem the peer defined: normalising prejudice and dehumanising women, rather than calmly debating the complexities of the veil in an open society. Since Baroness Warsi's warning, there has been the launch of a cross-departmental working group to tackle anti-Muslim hate. But it has been criticised as toothless, not least because the government can't agree a definition for Islamophobia. In his Daily Telegraph column, Mr Johnson - who last month quit the government in protest at Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit policy - was commenting on the introduction of a burka ban in Denmark. He said he felt \"fully entitled\" to expect women to remove face coverings when talking to him at his MP surgery - and schools and universities should be able to take the same approach if a student \"turns up... looking like a bank robber\". \"If you tell me that the burka is oppressive, then I am with you,\" he said. \"If you say that it is weird and bullying to expect women to cover their faces, then I totally agree - and I would add that I can find no scriptural authority for the practice in the Koran. \"I would go further and say that it is absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes.\" He said businesses and government agencies should be able to \"enforce a dress code\" that allowed them to see customers' faces. But he said: \"Such restrictions are not quite the same as telling a free-born adult woman what she may or may not wear, in a public place, when she is simply minding her own business.\" He said a total ban on face-covering veils would give a boost to radicals who said there was a \"clash of civilisations\" between Islam and the West, and could lead to \"a general crackdown on any public symbols of religious affiliation\".", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 7588, "answer_start": 6432, "text": "By BBC home affairs correspondent Dominic Casciani Last year, Zaynab Hussein, a mother from Leicester, was left fighting for her life after a man she didn't know smashed into her with his car - and then ran over her again. She was attacked because she was a Muslim. Tell Mama, the national organisation that collects anti-Muslim attack statistics, says that the majority of street victims of such abuse and violence are women, for the same reason that Mrs Hussein was singled out: some Muslim women are easily identifiable by their mode of dress - and therefore easy to target. Seven years ago Baroness Warsi said prejudice against Muslims had passed the \"dinner table test\". And Mr Johnson's critics regard his \"letter box\" and \"bank robber\" comments as part of the problem the peer defined: normalising prejudice and dehumanising women, rather than calmly debating the complexities of the veil in an open society. Since Baroness Warsi's warning, there has been the launch of a cross-departmental working group to tackle anti-Muslim hate. But it has been criticised as toothless, not least because the government can't agree a definition for Islamophobia." } ], "id": "67_0", "question": "What is Islamophobia?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Recently, there have been more stories about Yahoo shutting bits of its business than celebrating successes. The firm's own internet services are now valued to be worth a fraction of its stake in the e-commerce giant Alibaba. So, after the US tax authorities effectively blocked Yahoo's sales of shares in the Chinese business, chief executive Marissa Mayer opted for plan B: sell off Yahoo's core business. Since February, dozens of US-based companies have been linked to a potential bid. But the UK-based owner of the Daily Mail newspaper has now confirmed it is in discussions with unnamed parties to make an offer - an announcement that caught many by surprise. In much of the world, Yahoo may be considered a marginal internet brand. But in the US, it is still a force to be reckoned with. In February, it was the States' third most visited online platform, attracting more than 204 million people, according to research firm Comscore. To put that in context, Facebook had only 1% more users and Google's apps and websites only 17% more. Yahoo's news and sports are read by about one in four people at least once a week in the country, according to a University of Oxford study. And there are reports that its personal finance coverage is proving popular with millennials - those born in the 1980s and later - thanks to it mixing articles about how to deal with debt with more traditional earnings coverage. Other properties, including its blogging platform Tumblr, photo-sharing service Flickr, web-based email accounts and Q&A site Yahoo Answers continue to have international appeal. All of which means the firm can state that \"more than one billion people\" regularly use its products. Investors are getting restless because Yahoo's share of users doesn't match its share of online advertising sales. Last year, Yahoo accounted for only 1.5% of marketers' mobile online spend, according to a study by eMarketer. By contrast, Google scooped up 35% and Facebook 19%. Furthermore, Yahoo's position appears to be getting worse. The firm has predicted that its overall revenues will drop by about 15% this year, according to documents seen by the news site Recode. A large part of the problem is that while Yahoo can serve up huge numbers of ads, they are less targeted than those of its rivals. \"User data is key. Google and Facebook have a huge number of logged-in users, so they can track who it is using their services and use the information to let advertisers direct their ads,\" explained Joseph Evans from Enders Analysis. \"Yahoo might have a lot of users, but most of them are not logged into its services, so are effectively anonymous eyeballs. \"They are not totally anonymous - there is some behavioural data that Yahoo makes use of - but generally Google and Facebook are better at knowing who you are.\" A chance to grow its US audience. MailOnline and DailyMail.com were the only overseas publications to feature in the country's top 10 most visited news websites and apps last year, attracting more than 51 million readers. But Yahoo - and its partner ABC News - still managed to attract more than double that figure. \"The US has been the main driver of digital growth for Daily Mail & General Trust, but whilst traffic has grown well they haven't quite monetised this traffic as successfully as they would have liked,\" said Ian Whittaker, a media analyst at the investment bank Liberum. \"The combined inventory of DMGT and Yahoo would make a compelling offer to media buyers as they could offer them a significant amount of verified impressions in a 'brand-safe' environment.\" Another industry watcher added that the two firms' online activities appear to be a good match. \"Mail Online is fun and a bit salacious,\" commented Mathew Horsman from the Mediatique consultancy. \"It trends reasonably young and has a reputation for being a quick and dirty way of getting celebrity news, but its personal finance and property coverage are also among its strong suits. \"So, there are some interesting overlaps.\" Far from it. Many think a deal with Verizon would make more sense. The mobile network has sought to diversify its interests, and bought AOL last year - which gave it ownership of the Huffington Post, Techcrunch, Engadget and other news sites. Shortly afterwards, Verizon announced it would start combining personal knows about its mobile network subscribers - which is tied to their handsets - with the tracking data already gathered by AOL's sites. By doing so it said it could deliver more \"personalised\" ads. \"A Verizon-AOL-Yahoo tie-up would start to reach the sort of scale where they could become a 'third force' in advertising,\" said Mr Evans. \"Verizon already has one of the most sophisticated ad technology platforms and has built up a large number of user identities, so combining that with Yahoo's large number of users would allow it to offer a similar level of service to advertisers as Google and Facebook.\" Other bidders might be attracted by Yahoo's intellectual property, The New York Post recently reported that the firm owned about 6,000 patents, which it said could be worth $4bn (PS2.8bn). Recode added that Ms Mayer has been talking up the value of Index - a voice-controlled search tool developed by Yahoo that has yet to be launched. Google, Microsoft, Apple and Amazon already have virtual assistants of their own, but might be interested in acquiring Index if it genuinely offers innovative tricks of its own.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1693, "answer_start": 666, "text": "In much of the world, Yahoo may be considered a marginal internet brand. But in the US, it is still a force to be reckoned with. In February, it was the States' third most visited online platform, attracting more than 204 million people, according to research firm Comscore. To put that in context, Facebook had only 1% more users and Google's apps and websites only 17% more. Yahoo's news and sports are read by about one in four people at least once a week in the country, according to a University of Oxford study. And there are reports that its personal finance coverage is proving popular with millennials - those born in the 1980s and later - thanks to it mixing articles about how to deal with debt with more traditional earnings coverage. Other properties, including its blogging platform Tumblr, photo-sharing service Flickr, web-based email accounts and Q&A site Yahoo Answers continue to have international appeal. All of which means the firm can state that \"more than one billion people\" regularly use its products." } ], "id": "68_0", "question": "Does anyone use Yahoo anymore?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2167, "answer_start": 1694, "text": "Investors are getting restless because Yahoo's share of users doesn't match its share of online advertising sales. Last year, Yahoo accounted for only 1.5% of marketers' mobile online spend, according to a study by eMarketer. By contrast, Google scooped up 35% and Facebook 19%. Furthermore, Yahoo's position appears to be getting worse. The firm has predicted that its overall revenues will drop by about 15% this year, according to documents seen by the news site Recode." } ], "id": "68_1", "question": "So, why not continue as it is?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2817, "answer_start": 2168, "text": "A large part of the problem is that while Yahoo can serve up huge numbers of ads, they are less targeted than those of its rivals. \"User data is key. Google and Facebook have a huge number of logged-in users, so they can track who it is using their services and use the information to let advertisers direct their ads,\" explained Joseph Evans from Enders Analysis. \"Yahoo might have a lot of users, but most of them are not logged into its services, so are effectively anonymous eyeballs. \"They are not totally anonymous - there is some behavioural data that Yahoo makes use of - but generally Google and Facebook are better at knowing who you are.\"" } ], "id": "68_2", "question": "Why isn't it doing better?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4020, "answer_start": 2818, "text": "A chance to grow its US audience. MailOnline and DailyMail.com were the only overseas publications to feature in the country's top 10 most visited news websites and apps last year, attracting more than 51 million readers. But Yahoo - and its partner ABC News - still managed to attract more than double that figure. \"The US has been the main driver of digital growth for Daily Mail & General Trust, but whilst traffic has grown well they haven't quite monetised this traffic as successfully as they would have liked,\" said Ian Whittaker, a media analyst at the investment bank Liberum. \"The combined inventory of DMGT and Yahoo would make a compelling offer to media buyers as they could offer them a significant amount of verified impressions in a 'brand-safe' environment.\" Another industry watcher added that the two firms' online activities appear to be a good match. \"Mail Online is fun and a bit salacious,\" commented Mathew Horsman from the Mediatique consultancy. \"It trends reasonably young and has a reputation for being a quick and dirty way of getting celebrity news, but its personal finance and property coverage are also among its strong suits. \"So, there are some interesting overlaps.\"" } ], "id": "68_3", "question": "In that case, what would be its appeal to the Daily Mail?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5456, "answer_start": 4021, "text": "Far from it. Many think a deal with Verizon would make more sense. The mobile network has sought to diversify its interests, and bought AOL last year - which gave it ownership of the Huffington Post, Techcrunch, Engadget and other news sites. Shortly afterwards, Verizon announced it would start combining personal knows about its mobile network subscribers - which is tied to their handsets - with the tracking data already gathered by AOL's sites. By doing so it said it could deliver more \"personalised\" ads. \"A Verizon-AOL-Yahoo tie-up would start to reach the sort of scale where they could become a 'third force' in advertising,\" said Mr Evans. \"Verizon already has one of the most sophisticated ad technology platforms and has built up a large number of user identities, so combining that with Yahoo's large number of users would allow it to offer a similar level of service to advertisers as Google and Facebook.\" Other bidders might be attracted by Yahoo's intellectual property, The New York Post recently reported that the firm owned about 6,000 patents, which it said could be worth $4bn (PS2.8bn). Recode added that Ms Mayer has been talking up the value of Index - a voice-controlled search tool developed by Yahoo that has yet to be launched. Google, Microsoft, Apple and Amazon already have virtual assistants of their own, but might be interested in acquiring Index if it genuinely offers innovative tricks of its own." } ], "id": "68_4", "question": "So, is this a done deal?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Roses and champagne have been given to passengers on the first commercial flight between Ethiopia and Eritrea in 20 years. Ethiopian Airlines said its \"bird of peace\" flew to Eritrea, after the end of the \"state of war\". Passengers sang and danced in the aisles during the 60-minute flight. But they wept once they landed in Eritrea's capital Asmara, as they met relatives and friends for the first time since the 1998-2000 border war. This led to the closure of air and road travel between the two nations. Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has spearheaded a peace process with Eritrea since he took office in April. He signed a \"peace and friendship\" agreement with Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki on 9 July, declaring that the \"state of war\" was over. The deal was signed in Asmara, during the first visit by an Ethiopian head of state to the country in 20 years. Mr Isaias made a reciprocal visit to Ethiopia about a week later. The two leaders agreed to restore diplomatic ties, and resume air and road travel. Former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn was among the passengers on the historic flight. He told the BBC's Emmanuel Igunza that he was emotional about making the trip. \"It's a golden moment for the two countries and the two people,\" he said. Family members separated by the war hugged and sobbed when they met in Asmara. Flight attendants had handed out roses and had served champagne to passengers in all classes during the flight. The passengers included 33-year-old Izana Abraham, who was deported from Eritrea during the war because he was born in Ethiopia. \"I'm super excited. You have no idea,\" Mr Izana was quoted by AFP news agency as saying. \"This is history in the making,\" he added. More than 450 passengers were on board, Ethiopia's privately owned Addis Standard news site reported. Demand was so high that a second flight left within 15 minutes, AFP reported. Eritrea seceded from Ethiopia in 1993. Five years later, their armies fought over disputed territory along their border. Some 80,000 people were killed in the conflict. A UN-backed boundary commission ruled in 2002 that Ethiopia should cede the town of Badme to Eritrea. It refused, and the two countries remained in a state of \"no war, no peace\". Mr Abiy has promised to hand over territory, but it is unclear when this will happen.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2342, "answer_start": 1909, "text": "Eritrea seceded from Ethiopia in 1993. Five years later, their armies fought over disputed territory along their border. Some 80,000 people were killed in the conflict. A UN-backed boundary commission ruled in 2002 that Ethiopia should cede the town of Badme to Eritrea. It refused, and the two countries remained in a state of \"no war, no peace\". Mr Abiy has promised to hand over territory, but it is unclear when this will happen." } ], "id": "69_0", "question": "Why is this a big deal?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "As voters go to the polls in local and mayoral elections, here's a guide to what's going on and where... Voting will take place from 07:00 to 22:00 BST on 4 May. Elections will be held in 34 councils in England, all 32 councils in Scotland and all 22 councils in Wales. In addition, six areas in England are voting for newly-created \"combined local authority mayors\". These mayors will mostly be responsible for economic development in their regions, but some will have powers over transport and housing. Doncaster and North Tyneside are also voting for local authority mayors, who are elected leaders of their respective councils. The Manchester Gorton parliamentary by-election triggered by the death of Labour MP Gerald Kaufman was also due to take place, but has now been delayed until the general election on 8 June. Here's the full list of council elections: Buckinghamshire Cambridgeshire Cornwall Cumbria Derbyshire Devon Doncaster Dorset Durham East Sussex Essex Gloucestershire Hampshire Hertfordshire Isle of Wight Kent Lancashire Leicestershire Lincolnshire Norfolk North Yorkshire Northamptonshire Northumberland Nottinghamshire Oxfordshire Shropshire Somerset Staffordshire Suffolk Surrey Warwickshire West Sussex Wiltshire Worcestershire Aberdeen Aberdeenshire Angus Argyll & Bute Clackmannanshire Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Dumfries & Galloway Dundee East Ayrshire East Dunbartonshire East Lothian East Renfrewshire Edinburgh Falkirk Fife Glasgow Highland Inverclyde Midlothian Moray North Ayshire North Lanarkshire Orkney Perth & Kinross Renfrewshire Scottish Borders Shetland South Ayrshire South Lanarkshire Stirling West Dunbartonshire West Lothian Anglesey Blaunau Gwent Bridgend Caerphilly Cardiff Carmarthenshire Ceredigion Conwy Denbighshire Flintshire Gwynedd Merthyr Tydfil Monmouthshire Neath Port Talbot Newport Pembrokeshire Powys Rhonda Cynon Taf Swansea Torfaen Vale of Glamorgan Wrexham A total of 4,851 council seats are up for grabs across England, Wales and Scotland. - Labour are defending 1,535 seats - The Conservatives are defending 1,136 seats - The Lib Dems are defending 484 seats - The SNP are defending 438 seats - Plaid Cymru are defending 170 seats - UKIP are defending 146 seats - The Green Party are defending 34 seats These figures are estimates because there have been boundary changes since they were last contested. There are also 687 independent councillors, with no party allegiances, whose seats are being contested. The rest of the total is made up of residents' association councillors and parties with a handful of representatives, including Cornish separatists Mebyon Kernow, who have four councillors. Some English and Welsh councils will begin counting ballots as soon as polls close at 22:00 BST. Others will start counting on Friday morning, with results continuing all day Friday. Scotland's 32 councils will start their counts on Friday morning, with first results expected from midday. Most mayoral results will be declared on Friday. There will be full live text and video coverage of the results as they come in on the BBC News website and on special BBC news programmes. You must be registered to vote, be at least 18 on polling day in England and Wales or 16 in Scotland, be resident in Britain and be British or a Commonwealth or a European Union citizen. To take part in the polls, voters had to be registered by midnight on Thursday, 13 April if living in England or Wales, and by Monday, 17 April if living in Scotland. It's too late to register for Thursday's local elections, but voters have until 22 May to take part in the general election on 8 June. For more information click here. Convicted prisoners, anybody found guilty of election corruption within the past five years. Members of the House of Lords and anyone subject to any legal incapacity to vote. If you are registered to vote you should have received a polling card telling you where you should go to cast your vote on Thursday. You do not have to take the card with you when you go to vote. No form of identity is required. If your polling card hasn't arrived, contact the electoral services department at your local council. The deadline for asking for a postal vote from the electoral registration office at your local council has passed. If you have applied to vote by post, you cannot vote in person at the polling station. However, you can return your postal vote to the polling station before 22:00 BST, or to the returning officer at your local council before they close if you do not want to post it or it is too late to post it. See the Electoral Commission's guidelines for postal voting. You can only apply for a long-term proxy vote if you have a specific reason such as a disability or being overseas. To vote by proxy for just one election, you must have a reason - for example you will be on holiday or away owing to work. The deadline to vote by proxy has already passed, but if you are suddenly incapacitated or taken ill, you can apply to vote by proxy for medical reasons up until 17:00 BST on polling day. As long as you are registered to vote in both places you can choose to vote at either your home address or your student address - or in both places if they are in different council areas. To help blind and partially sighted voters, there has to be a \"tactile device\" in each polling station and there are rules on the size of print on ballot papers. The vast majority of polling stations are now more accessible for wheelchair users. Proxy ballots are allowed for those unable to vote because of disability. A doctor's note is required if the person with disabilities is applying for an indefinite proxy vote. There is no literacy qualification for voting: anyone who cannot read or write can ask the polling officer at the polling station to mark their ballot, or have the candidates names read out, or take a companion to help them. No. People cannot be forced to vote and registration is not compulsory. Yes. The ballot papers contain a serial number and it is possible, but illegal, to trace all the votes to the people who cast them. The number is there to stop electoral fraud. Not all councils hold elections at the same time. All councillors are elected for a term of four years, but the four-year cycle of elections is different for different councils. This year it is the turn of all the English county councils, who last had elections in 2013, and seven other authorities. Next year will see elections to all the London boroughs and some of the smaller district councils. There are also some councils who elect a third of councillors each year for three out of the four-year cycle. Six new mayors are being elected to represent several regions of England. These mayors are being created as part of the government's drive to devolve more power to English regions. The mayors will serve and represent a number of local authorities in each region. Their exact powers vary according to the different agreements reached between local authorities and the government, but will mainly cover economic strategy, transport and planning. Local authority mayors are also being elected in Doncaster and North Tyneside. Mayors are elected using the Supplementary Vote system, which means voters choose first and second preferences for mayor. Candidates must be aged 18 or over and either be British or citizens of other European Union or Commonwealth countries. In addition, those standing in English council elections must be on the electoral register of the council concerned or must have lived in or worked in the council area within the past year. Those banned from standing in the elections include anyone employed by the local authority, bankrupts and people in a variety of politically restricted jobs. The deadline has passed to register as a candidate for these elections. All political parties have to be registered with the Electoral Commission if they want their names to appear on the ballot papers. The commission will need the names of three party officials and details of the party's financial structure. It can refuse to register a party if its name is confusingly similar to another party's or if the name is deemed offensive. The deadline has passed to register a political party for these elections. The top official of the local authority is the returning officer for the elections in each constituency, with the day-to-day running of the poll left to the head of the council's electoral registration office. They do not have to be - it is just convention. One theory about its origins is that people were not paid until Fridays and so holding polls on Thursdays ensured they were not too drunk to vote. The Electoral Commission has recommended trials of weekend voting to boost turnout. Every part of the corporation has to follow election guidelines published by the BBC They included advice on \"appropriate\" level of coverage to give to each of the political parties.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 161, "answer_start": 105, "text": "Voting will take place from 07:00 to 22:00 BST on 4 May." } ], "id": "70_0", "question": "When are the polls?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 864, "answer_start": 162, "text": "Elections will be held in 34 councils in England, all 32 councils in Scotland and all 22 councils in Wales. In addition, six areas in England are voting for newly-created \"combined local authority mayors\". These mayors will mostly be responsible for economic development in their regions, but some will have powers over transport and housing. Doncaster and North Tyneside are also voting for local authority mayors, who are elected leaders of their respective councils. The Manchester Gorton parliamentary by-election triggered by the death of Labour MP Gerald Kaufman was also due to take place, but has now been delayed until the general election on 8 June. Here's the full list of council elections:" } ], "id": "70_1", "question": "What are people voting for?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2660, "answer_start": 1918, "text": "A total of 4,851 council seats are up for grabs across England, Wales and Scotland. - Labour are defending 1,535 seats - The Conservatives are defending 1,136 seats - The Lib Dems are defending 484 seats - The SNP are defending 438 seats - Plaid Cymru are defending 170 seats - UKIP are defending 146 seats - The Green Party are defending 34 seats These figures are estimates because there have been boundary changes since they were last contested. There are also 687 independent councillors, with no party allegiances, whose seats are being contested. The rest of the total is made up of residents' association councillors and parties with a handful of representatives, including Cornish separatists Mebyon Kernow, who have four councillors." } ], "id": "70_2", "question": "Who is standing?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2999, "answer_start": 2661, "text": "Some English and Welsh councils will begin counting ballots as soon as polls close at 22:00 BST. Others will start counting on Friday morning, with results continuing all day Friday. Scotland's 32 councils will start their counts on Friday morning, with first results expected from midday. Most mayoral results will be declared on Friday." } ], "id": "70_3", "question": "When are we expecting the results?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3138, "answer_start": 3000, "text": "There will be full live text and video coverage of the results as they come in on the BBC News website and on special BBC news programmes." } ], "id": "70_4", "question": "Where can I watch the results?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3660, "answer_start": 3139, "text": "You must be registered to vote, be at least 18 on polling day in England and Wales or 16 in Scotland, be resident in Britain and be British or a Commonwealth or a European Union citizen. To take part in the polls, voters had to be registered by midnight on Thursday, 13 April if living in England or Wales, and by Monday, 17 April if living in Scotland. It's too late to register for Thursday's local elections, but voters have until 22 May to take part in the general election on 8 June. For more information click here." } ], "id": "70_5", "question": "Who can vote?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3835, "answer_start": 3661, "text": "Convicted prisoners, anybody found guilty of election corruption within the past five years. Members of the House of Lords and anyone subject to any legal incapacity to vote." } ], "id": "70_6", "question": "Who is barred from voting?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4167, "answer_start": 3836, "text": "If you are registered to vote you should have received a polling card telling you where you should go to cast your vote on Thursday. You do not have to take the card with you when you go to vote. No form of identity is required. If your polling card hasn't arrived, contact the electoral services department at your local council." } ], "id": "70_7", "question": "How do I vote?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4640, "answer_start": 4168, "text": "The deadline for asking for a postal vote from the electoral registration office at your local council has passed. If you have applied to vote by post, you cannot vote in person at the polling station. However, you can return your postal vote to the polling station before 22:00 BST, or to the returning officer at your local council before they close if you do not want to post it or it is too late to post it. See the Electoral Commission's guidelines for postal voting." } ], "id": "70_8", "question": "Can I vote by post?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5067, "answer_start": 4641, "text": "You can only apply for a long-term proxy vote if you have a specific reason such as a disability or being overseas. To vote by proxy for just one election, you must have a reason - for example you will be on holiday or away owing to work. The deadline to vote by proxy has already passed, but if you are suddenly incapacitated or taken ill, you can apply to vote by proxy for medical reasons up until 17:00 BST on polling day." } ], "id": "70_9", "question": "What about proxy votes?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5255, "answer_start": 5068, "text": "As long as you are registered to vote in both places you can choose to vote at either your home address or your student address - or in both places if they are in different council areas." } ], "id": "70_10", "question": "I'm away from home at university on 4 May, where do I vote?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5677, "answer_start": 5256, "text": "To help blind and partially sighted voters, there has to be a \"tactile device\" in each polling station and there are rules on the size of print on ballot papers. The vast majority of polling stations are now more accessible for wheelchair users. Proxy ballots are allowed for those unable to vote because of disability. A doctor's note is required if the person with disabilities is applying for an indefinite proxy vote." } ], "id": "70_11", "question": "What help is there for disabled voters?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5902, "answer_start": 5678, "text": "There is no literacy qualification for voting: anyone who cannot read or write can ask the polling officer at the polling station to mark their ballot, or have the candidates names read out, or take a companion to help them." } ], "id": "70_12", "question": "What happens if a voter is illiterate?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5974, "answer_start": 5903, "text": "No. People cannot be forced to vote and registration is not compulsory." } ], "id": "70_13", "question": "Is voting compulsory?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6151, "answer_start": 5975, "text": "Yes. The ballot papers contain a serial number and it is possible, but illegal, to trace all the votes to the people who cast them. The number is there to stop electoral fraud." } ], "id": "70_14", "question": "Is my vote secret?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6660, "answer_start": 6152, "text": "Not all councils hold elections at the same time. All councillors are elected for a term of four years, but the four-year cycle of elections is different for different councils. This year it is the turn of all the English county councils, who last had elections in 2013, and seven other authorities. Next year will see elections to all the London boroughs and some of the smaller district councils. There are also some councils who elect a third of councillors each year for three out of the four-year cycle." } ], "id": "70_15", "question": "Why don't I have a vote this year?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 7305, "answer_start": 6661, "text": "Six new mayors are being elected to represent several regions of England. These mayors are being created as part of the government's drive to devolve more power to English regions. The mayors will serve and represent a number of local authorities in each region. Their exact powers vary according to the different agreements reached between local authorities and the government, but will mainly cover economic strategy, transport and planning. Local authority mayors are also being elected in Doncaster and North Tyneside. Mayors are elected using the Supplementary Vote system, which means voters choose first and second preferences for mayor." } ], "id": "70_16", "question": "What about mayoral elections?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 7845, "answer_start": 7306, "text": "Candidates must be aged 18 or over and either be British or citizens of other European Union or Commonwealth countries. In addition, those standing in English council elections must be on the electoral register of the council concerned or must have lived in or worked in the council area within the past year. Those banned from standing in the elections include anyone employed by the local authority, bankrupts and people in a variety of politically restricted jobs. The deadline has passed to register as a candidate for these elections." } ], "id": "70_17", "question": "Who can stand as a candidate?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 8283, "answer_start": 7846, "text": "All political parties have to be registered with the Electoral Commission if they want their names to appear on the ballot papers. The commission will need the names of three party officials and details of the party's financial structure. It can refuse to register a party if its name is confusingly similar to another party's or if the name is deemed offensive. The deadline has passed to register a political party for these elections." } ], "id": "70_18", "question": "How can I set up a political party?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 8493, "answer_start": 8284, "text": "The top official of the local authority is the returning officer for the elections in each constituency, with the day-to-day running of the poll left to the head of the council's electoral registration office." } ], "id": "70_19", "question": "Who organises the election?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 8772, "answer_start": 8494, "text": "They do not have to be - it is just convention. One theory about its origins is that people were not paid until Fridays and so holding polls on Thursdays ensured they were not too drunk to vote. The Electoral Commission has recommended trials of weekend voting to boost turnout." } ], "id": "70_20", "question": "Why are elections held on Thursdays?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 8956, "answer_start": 8773, "text": "Every part of the corporation has to follow election guidelines published by the BBC They included advice on \"appropriate\" level of coverage to give to each of the political parties." } ], "id": "70_21", "question": "Are there rules for the BBC's coverage?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Egypt's top imam has endorsed a ban on trading in Bitcoin by declaring it \"forbidden\" by Islam. Sheikh Shawki Allam, the Grand Mutfi, said the digital crypto-currency carried risks of \"fraudulence, lack of knowledge, and cheating\". Bitcoin began last year below $1,000 (PS737) but reached nearly $20,000 before the end of the year. Then it lost more than 25% of its value inside a week, sparking warnings of a dangerous bubble. The Grand Mufti said risks could arise because the virtual currency was not subject to surveillance by any centralised authority. \"Bitcoin is forbidden in Sharia as it causes harm to individuals, groups and institutions,\" the fatwa said, as reported by Egyptian daily Ahram In August 2017, Egypt's first bitcoin exchange was opened. The crypto-currency was declared illegitimate by the authorities last month. An adviser to the Grand Mufti, Magdy Ashour, told Egypt Today that Bitcoin was \"used directly to fund terrorists\". Last month, a New York-based woman was charged with laundering Bitcoin and other crypto-currencies and wiring the money to help so-called Islamic State. There are two key traits of Bitcoin: it is digital and it is seen as an alternative currency. Unlike the notes or coins in your pocket, it largely exists online. Secondly, Bitcoin is not printed by governments or traditional banks. A small but growing number of businesses, including Expedia and Microsoft, accept bitcoins - which work like virtual tokens. However, the vast majority of users now buy and sell them as a financial investment.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1547, "answer_start": 1106, "text": "There are two key traits of Bitcoin: it is digital and it is seen as an alternative currency. Unlike the notes or coins in your pocket, it largely exists online. Secondly, Bitcoin is not printed by governments or traditional banks. A small but growing number of businesses, including Expedia and Microsoft, accept bitcoins - which work like virtual tokens. However, the vast majority of users now buy and sell them as a financial investment." } ], "id": "71_0", "question": "What is Bitcoin?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The US Senate is poised to loosen banking rules instituted in the wake of the 2007-2009 financial crisis, marking a key turning point in the long-running debate over the regulations. The proposal would reduce the number of firms subject to strict oversight. Supporters, who include Democrats and Republicans, say the plan will offer relief to smaller, community banks burdened by high compliance costs. Critics say measures go much further, relaxing rules on major institutions. The Senate began its debate on Wednesday and is expected to approve the measure in a vote as soon as this week, sending the bill to the House. The House has already shown its appetite for change, passing a far more radical rollback last year. This proposal, formally the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act, is more narrowly focused on banking and lending rules than the House effort. The changes include: - Raising the threshold for strictest oversight from $50bn to $250bn. That leaves about a dozen firms subject to the toughest rules, but supervision would ease on about two dozen banks, including international players such as Barclays and Deutsche Bank's US operation. - Creating exemptions from the Volcker Rule, which bars banks from using their own funds to engage in risky trading or sponsoring their own hedge funds to do so. - Providing a new way for banks to satisfy a requirement that they are lending to qualified borrowers and relaxing requirements to report demographic information about home loans to the government. - Directing the Federal Reserve to tailor regulation for the biggest banks and adjusting calculations for requirements for holding capital in the event of a crisis The campaign to revise the 2010 banking rules, known as Dodd-Frank, started almost as soon as the sprawling measure was signed. Critics said that the law - which established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; created capital requirements and stress tests for banks; and instituted new lending requirements among other changes - was too complicated and costly, stifling economic growth. Republicans pledged to overhaul the law; President Donald Trump promised a 'haircut'. Smaller, community banks, which have lost market share since the 1990s, helped galvanise bipartisan support for reform. They argued that the rules imposed disproportionate costs on them and gave bigger institutions with more money and muscle an advantage. Mike Crapo, a Republican from Idaho, has stewarded the bill through years of negotiations. He says the changes will make it easier for people and businesses to get access to credit, while preserving much of the regulatory framework. The legislation has also won support from some Democrats in moderate states, such as Montana and Virginia. (Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, who was Hillary Clinton's vice presidential nominee, is among the backers.) Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat who represents Massachusetts, is spearheading opposition to the bill. She argues it will weaken consumer protection and open the door to risky behaviour that banks want to pursue for higher profits. \"We've seen this movie before and we know how it ends,\" she said. Outside of the Senate reaction has been mixed. Sheila Bair, former chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, has warned against a part of the bill that would change the capital requirement calculations. Phil Angelides, a former California treasurer who led the US inquiry into the causes, said policymakers are using a \"deceptive guise of aiding regional and community banks\" to undo important protections. \"Its provisions would put us on the road to re-creating conditions that the [inquiry commission] concluded led to the 2008 crisis,\" he wrote in a letter.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2439, "answer_start": 1705, "text": "The campaign to revise the 2010 banking rules, known as Dodd-Frank, started almost as soon as the sprawling measure was signed. Critics said that the law - which established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; created capital requirements and stress tests for banks; and instituted new lending requirements among other changes - was too complicated and costly, stifling economic growth. Republicans pledged to overhaul the law; President Donald Trump promised a 'haircut'. Smaller, community banks, which have lost market share since the 1990s, helped galvanise bipartisan support for reform. They argued that the rules imposed disproportionate costs on them and gave bigger institutions with more money and muscle an advantage." } ], "id": "72_0", "question": "Why is this happening?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3178, "answer_start": 2440, "text": "Mike Crapo, a Republican from Idaho, has stewarded the bill through years of negotiations. He says the changes will make it easier for people and businesses to get access to credit, while preserving much of the regulatory framework. The legislation has also won support from some Democrats in moderate states, such as Montana and Virginia. (Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, who was Hillary Clinton's vice presidential nominee, is among the backers.) Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat who represents Massachusetts, is spearheading opposition to the bill. She argues it will weaken consumer protection and open the door to risky behaviour that banks want to pursue for higher profits. \"We've seen this movie before and we know how it ends,\" she said." } ], "id": "72_1", "question": "What are people saying about the bill in the Senate?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3742, "answer_start": 3179, "text": "Outside of the Senate reaction has been mixed. Sheila Bair, former chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, has warned against a part of the bill that would change the capital requirement calculations. Phil Angelides, a former California treasurer who led the US inquiry into the causes, said policymakers are using a \"deceptive guise of aiding regional and community banks\" to undo important protections. \"Its provisions would put us on the road to re-creating conditions that the [inquiry commission] concluded led to the 2008 crisis,\" he wrote in a letter." } ], "id": "72_2", "question": "And elsewhere?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The pound plummeted in Asian trading early on Friday. And no-one really seems to know why. Did a trader make a mistake? Did the computers go haywire? And where will the pound go next? Overnight the value of the pound fell dramatically. It was briefly down 6%, hitting a value of $1.18 against the dollar at 7:09am in Hong Kong (00:09 in the UK). The British currency has been on a downward trend since the Brexit vote, but this was the biggest move since the referendum on 23 June. The pound recovered to $1.24, which was still down 1.5% on Thursday's value. No-one knows for definite. Market watchers quickly pointed to computer algorithms, which could have been reacting to a news story about French President Francois Hollande saying he wants to see tough negotiations with the UK over Brexit. But it could also have been human error, as simple as a trader adding an extra zero to a number by mistake when making an order. It could also have been exacerbated by the time. It was after 7pm in New York, so financial markets there had closed. It was the middle of the night in Europe, so markets here were also closed. Both these regions are major players in the foreign exchange market. As the strife began for sterling, there were fewer buyers active in the market. Extreme movements are more likely at times of lower trading volumes as there are fewer trades to calm any market panic. Also known as automated trading, this is where specialised, bespoke computer programs are designed to help traders work faster. They will receive information from multiple sources such as data on previous crises and trades, as well as information from news sites and even social media. The programs then trade immediately in response. The growth of automated trading has been rapid. The Bank for International Settlements says that between the 2007 and 2013, algorithmic trading at Electronic Broking Services (EBS), an FX trading platform used by market-making banks, grew from 28% to 68% of volumes. Absolutely. Computers cannot put the information they are receiving into context. \"The algorithms can over-react to news,\" says Kathleen Brooks, research director at spreadbetter City Index. \"They are a fantastic tool, but cannot be used in isolation, you need a human keeping an eye on them.\" It's unlikely. The foreign exchange market is not one single market as it were, there are several platforms based in different countries. A central clearing house, which records information on trades, as you have with stock market trading, would allow for an investigation into where a rogue trade came from. Aside from the uncertainty as to whether this is what caused the pound to dive, the absence of a clearing house for the foreign exchange markets means this type of probe is not possible. This means the person or firm responsible would have to own up. The good news is that the value of the pound recovered slightly, after the initial plunge. But the gradual decrease is expected to continue as the UK's economy struggles to cope with Brexit uncertainty. John Wraith, head of UK rates strategy at UBS, predicts: \"It is only a matter of time before less positive [economic] data starts to appear.\" He expects the pound to reach parity with the euro by the end of next year - it last came close in late 2008. Mr Wraith forecasts sterling will hit $1.20 by the end of 2017. In the short term, we will pay more for our holiday money, receiving less foreign currency for our pounds when we exchange them. In the longer term, it is possible we will see prices in shops rise as companies importing goods into the UK pass on the higher cost they will see as a result of paying for things in currencies other than the pound.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 558, "answer_start": 184, "text": "Overnight the value of the pound fell dramatically. It was briefly down 6%, hitting a value of $1.18 against the dollar at 7:09am in Hong Kong (00:09 in the UK). The British currency has been on a downward trend since the Brexit vote, but this was the biggest move since the referendum on 23 June. The pound recovered to $1.24, which was still down 1.5% on Thursday's value." } ], "id": "73_0", "question": "What actually happened?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1388, "answer_start": 559, "text": "No-one knows for definite. Market watchers quickly pointed to computer algorithms, which could have been reacting to a news story about French President Francois Hollande saying he wants to see tough negotiations with the UK over Brexit. But it could also have been human error, as simple as a trader adding an extra zero to a number by mistake when making an order. It could also have been exacerbated by the time. It was after 7pm in New York, so financial markets there had closed. It was the middle of the night in Europe, so markets here were also closed. Both these regions are major players in the foreign exchange market. As the strife began for sterling, there were fewer buyers active in the market. Extreme movements are more likely at times of lower trading volumes as there are fewer trades to calm any market panic." } ], "id": "73_1", "question": "What caused the crash?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1990, "answer_start": 1389, "text": "Also known as automated trading, this is where specialised, bespoke computer programs are designed to help traders work faster. They will receive information from multiple sources such as data on previous crises and trades, as well as information from news sites and even social media. The programs then trade immediately in response. The growth of automated trading has been rapid. The Bank for International Settlements says that between the 2007 and 2013, algorithmic trading at Electronic Broking Services (EBS), an FX trading platform used by market-making banks, grew from 28% to 68% of volumes." } ], "id": "73_2", "question": "What exactly is algorithmic trading?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2284, "answer_start": 1991, "text": "Absolutely. Computers cannot put the information they are receiving into context. \"The algorithms can over-react to news,\" says Kathleen Brooks, research director at spreadbetter City Index. \"They are a fantastic tool, but cannot be used in isolation, you need a human keeping an eye on them.\"" } ], "id": "73_3", "question": "So do we need humans?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2844, "answer_start": 2285, "text": "It's unlikely. The foreign exchange market is not one single market as it were, there are several platforms based in different countries. A central clearing house, which records information on trades, as you have with stock market trading, would allow for an investigation into where a rogue trade came from. Aside from the uncertainty as to whether this is what caused the pound to dive, the absence of a clearing house for the foreign exchange markets means this type of probe is not possible. This means the person or firm responsible would have to own up." } ], "id": "73_4", "question": "Will we ever know what happened?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3363, "answer_start": 2845, "text": "The good news is that the value of the pound recovered slightly, after the initial plunge. But the gradual decrease is expected to continue as the UK's economy struggles to cope with Brexit uncertainty. John Wraith, head of UK rates strategy at UBS, predicts: \"It is only a matter of time before less positive [economic] data starts to appear.\" He expects the pound to reach parity with the euro by the end of next year - it last came close in late 2008. Mr Wraith forecasts sterling will hit $1.20 by the end of 2017." } ], "id": "73_5", "question": "Where will the pound go from here?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3708, "answer_start": 3364, "text": "In the short term, we will pay more for our holiday money, receiving less foreign currency for our pounds when we exchange them. In the longer term, it is possible we will see prices in shops rise as companies importing goods into the UK pass on the higher cost they will see as a result of paying for things in currencies other than the pound." } ], "id": "73_6", "question": "What does this mean for me?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "US President Donald Trump has backed proposals for changes to the country's immigration law. The changes in the Raise Act (the initials stand for Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment) would attempt to reduce the number of legal immigrants by 50% over the next 10 years. The proposals are a long way off being made law. They are likely to face resistance in Congress from Democrats and some Republicans. Here is what is being proposed. This is the nickname commonly given to Permanent Residence Cards. They allow people over the age of 18 to live and work in the US and are currently given to more than a million people a year. Under the proposals this number would be cut; green cards would be given to just over 500,000 people a year. 140,000 employment-based green cards are issued a year. At the moment people from outside the US can apply in three categories, with a top priority given to foreign nationals who have \"extraordinary ability\" in fields including science and athletics, or who are multinational managers or \"outstanding\" researchers. This will change to a points-based system that considers factors including education levels, age and future salary, similar to the systems used in Canada and Australia. Mr Trump said the system would prioritise English speakers, and those who can support themselves and their families financially and demonstrate skills that contribute to the US economy. Applicants would have to get at least 30 points, as judged by their: - highest educational qualification: 13 points for a US doctorate; one point for a US or foreign high school diploma - age: people over 50 would get no points, with younger people being judged on a sliding scale from two to 10 points - ability at English, as judged by a test - future salary: 13 points for a job offer that paid 300% of the median for their destination state - investments: 12 points for a $1.8 million investment in a US business - achievements: 15 points for an Olympic medal, 25 points for a Nobel prize New holders of green cards would not be eligible for any means-tested federal benefits for five years after arriving. At present, people who have an extended family member living legally in the US are prioritised for green cards. If this set of proposals went through, that preference would be removed. The adult children of immigrants would not be prioritised anymore either. Preference would instead be given to spouses and children under the age of 18. One new measure would be created. If a US resident had a sick parent, that parent could be allowed to enter the US on a renewable five-year visa as long as the resident promised to be financially responsible for them. Millions of people a year apply to this green card lottery, and 50,000 are successful. The diversity immigrant visa programme was started more than two decades ago by order of Congress. It is a way to get in to the US without having the family links or employment prospects required for the other methods. To qualify for the lottery, one must: - be from a country that has had a low number of admissions over the past five years - have finished high school and have a job - more information here Under these proposals, the programme would be completely scrapped. Former President Barack Obama pledged before leaving office that he would admit 110,000 refugees a year. The proposals would cut that number to 50,000. The draft law does not touch on seasonal visas for guest workers.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3469, "answer_start": 3404, "text": "The draft law does not touch on seasonal visas for guest workers." } ], "id": "74_0", "question": "What's not affected?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "\"This is not the outcome business wanted,\" according to Carolyn Fairbairn, the director general of the CBI. So why was business ignored? Businesses can't vote. All they can do is raise their voice and they did try. Memos to staff, letters to newspapers, industry surveys all shouting about the risks of Brexit - all fell on deaf ears. The implicit warnings about trade, investment and jobs did not convince voters that their interests were best served by staying in the EU. The Remain campaign hoped that a last minute armada of 1,200 businesses from Asda to Vodafone assembled in the pages of the Times might persuade workers that their employer's priorities were their priorities. It didn't. In fact, even towns whose big employers are part of their identity saw the population ignore the declared interests of their local big business. Nissan's home Sunderland, Rolls-Royce's home Derby, Honda's home Swindon all voted to leave. Clearly many people didn't believe the management that there was/is any threat to trade or investment, or they cared about something more than their employers' success. The complacency of the financial markets looks staggering in hindsight. Bank of England governor Mark Carney warned anyone who would listen that the pound would fall if the UK were to vote leave and yet as the polls narrowed to neck and neck, the pound continued to rise as if a Remain vote was already in the bag. That disconnect led to a fearsome reckoning in the early hours of this morning with the pound falling 10% at one stage - more than twice the drop we saw on Black Wednesday in 1992. More words from the governor helped to calm nerves as he offered PS250bn in ready cash to oil any seizures in the system and the pound regained some of its losses while the stock market also bounced back half way from early losses. Perhaps the markets' arrogance can be explained by their Scottish experience when confidence that nationalist fervour in the polls would evaporate in the glare of cold economic reason was proved right. But this referendum had a key difference. It had one extra big issue to rival the economy or sovereignty in importance in people's minds - immigration. It seems that business proved a poor cheerleader for the Remain campaign. It turned out that workers did not share the same level of enthusiasm as business owners for the free movement of goods, services, capital and crucially, of course, people. Now what? There have been some immediate effects on business. Thomas Cook suspended its online foreign exchange service to make sure the queues at its High Street counters had enough cash for holidaymakers. Petrol retailers have warned that the plunge in the pound may put two or three pence on a litre of petrol. Other businesses say it's way too early to say what the impact will be. BMW said it there would be \"no immediate change\" to its UK operations and the High Street banks have made the kind of reassuring noises you would expect. Other firms have hinted at bigger, longer term changes. American banks JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley are able to sell to the rest of Europe from London under special \"passporting\" arrangements. Even before the negotiations with the EU begin, both have said they may need to move staff to the EU to serve their European customers. JP Morgan alone has warned up to 4,000 jobs could leave the UK. Airbus employs 15,000 people in the UK and chief executive Tom Enders said. \"This is a lose-lose result for both Britain and Europe. We will review our UK investment strategy, like everybody else will.\" The CBI's director general, Carolyn Fairbairn, also tried to sound a note of optimism amidst the disappointment. \"British businesses will adapt as they did after the 2008 crash,\" she said. But she wants help. The best access possible to the single market, preserving as much of the 54 international trade deals we are a party to via the EU and a \"sensible\" conversation about immigration to ensure access to skills. Those are all up for grabs at the moment but the Leave campaign has pledged to move quickly to complete a trade deal with Europe. However, it's not clear how quickly Europe will be inclined to co-operate given the UK has inflicted a serious blow on the integrity of the remaining union. Messrs Gove and Johnson also want to crack on with others at a pace exceeding the snail-like progress of EU-China and EU-India deals that have taken years and are still not signed. It's too early to say what the final impact will be - there are days, months, potentially years of negotiations ahead. But for many businesses that process starts today.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2969, "answer_start": 1101, "text": "The complacency of the financial markets looks staggering in hindsight. Bank of England governor Mark Carney warned anyone who would listen that the pound would fall if the UK were to vote leave and yet as the polls narrowed to neck and neck, the pound continued to rise as if a Remain vote was already in the bag. That disconnect led to a fearsome reckoning in the early hours of this morning with the pound falling 10% at one stage - more than twice the drop we saw on Black Wednesday in 1992. More words from the governor helped to calm nerves as he offered PS250bn in ready cash to oil any seizures in the system and the pound regained some of its losses while the stock market also bounced back half way from early losses. Perhaps the markets' arrogance can be explained by their Scottish experience when confidence that nationalist fervour in the polls would evaporate in the glare of cold economic reason was proved right. But this referendum had a key difference. It had one extra big issue to rival the economy or sovereignty in importance in people's minds - immigration. It seems that business proved a poor cheerleader for the Remain campaign. It turned out that workers did not share the same level of enthusiasm as business owners for the free movement of goods, services, capital and crucially, of course, people. Now what? There have been some immediate effects on business. Thomas Cook suspended its online foreign exchange service to make sure the queues at its High Street counters had enough cash for holidaymakers. Petrol retailers have warned that the plunge in the pound may put two or three pence on a litre of petrol. Other businesses say it's way too early to say what the impact will be. BMW said it there would be \"no immediate change\" to its UK operations and the High Street banks have made the kind of reassuring noises you would expect." } ], "id": "75_0", "question": "Arrogance?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "US immigration officials say they have temporarily released about 300 people who were arrested in a massive raid in Mississippi on Wednesday. Democrats and rights groups have condemned the arrests as \"cruel\". Nearly 700 workers from seven agricultural processing plants were arrested for allegedly not having proper documentation to be in the US. Pictures emerged of children crying after being separated from their parents. Officials say they took steps to ensure any children were properly cared for. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said \"approximately 680 removable aliens\" had been detained during the operation, which saw agents arriving in buses to question and arrest workers at the plants. President Donald Trump had announced an immigration crackdown in June, saying \"millions of illegal aliens who [had] found their way into the US\" would be removed. ICE spokesman Bryan Cox told the BBC that, of the 680 people arrested in Wednesday's raids, more than 300 had been released with notices to appear before immigration judges. \"They were placed into proceedings before the federal immigration courts and will have their day in court at a later date,\" he said in an emailed statement. Those who were not released will be moved to an ICE detention facility and held there, Mr Cox said. About 30 of the people detained were released on humanitarian grounds, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Mississippi said. Mr Cox said those arrested were asked if they had any dependents needing care or if they had any children at school who needed to be picked up. They were given access to phones at the processing site to make arrangements to care for their children. He said those with childcare issues were \"expeditiously processed and returned\". In response to critics who called the raids cruel and harmful to the workers' children, Mr Cox said the agency had directed two Homeland Security Investigations employees to notify schools of the operation and provide contact details for any children whose parents did not pick them up. \"This agency took extensive steps in planning for this operation to take special care of situations involving adults who may have childcare situations or children at school at the time of their arrest.\" Those detained had been taken to a Mississippi National Guard hangar for questioning. ICE did not share details about the nationalities of those detained, but the Mexican government has reportedly sent consular staff to the area to help any of their nationals who may be involved. The raids took place just hours before Mr Trump arrived in the majority Latino city of El Paso to mark a mass shooting which left 22 people dead. About 600 ICE agents arrived at the chicken processing plants, owned by five different companies, in the towns of Bay Springs, Canton, Carthage, Morton, Pelahatchie and Sebastopol. Friends and family looked on as officers surrounded plants and began to arrest the workers. Nora Preciado, a supervising attorney at the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), told the BBC that, in many workplace raids, \"ICE often singles out people in a discriminatory fashion by focusing only on the Latino workers, and there are many incidents of excessive force during the detention and arrests\". \"These raids are rife with constitutional rights' violations, including agents having no legal authority to detain or arrest workers based solely on immigration status without probable cause,\" she said. \"Generally, regardless of whether released or not, anyone unauthorised will be put into deportation proceedings.\" In the Mississippi raids, officials said they executed federal criminal and administrative search warrants for the arrested individuals. Some children were taken to a local gym after they came home to find their parents gone. In one video posted on Facebook from the Koch Foods plant in Morton, a young girl can be heard weeping uncontrollably as bystanders watch people being loaded on to a bus. An officer allows her to see her mother, who is the girl's only legal guardian, before the buses leave. Because the young girl is a US citizen, her mother will not be deported, the officer says. According to the Washington Post, the girl's mother had not been released as of Wednesday night. Ms Preciado of the NILC said research shows raids like this have a \"harmful impact on safety, educational success, social and behavioural well-being and overall health of children in immigrant families\". Scott County schools superintendent Tony McGee told the Clarion Ledger newspaper that one child had started kindergarten on Tuesday, only to have their parent arrested on Wednesday. Mr McGee said at least six families had a parent detained in the raids, with children ranging in age from kindergarten to high school. \"We'll worry about the school part of it after we get all this sorted out,\" he added. \"You can't expect a child to stay focused on the schoolwork when he's trying to focus on where Mom and Dad are.\" Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba condemned the raids as \"dehumanising and ineffective\". The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called the operation \"unnecessary and cruel\". But Mike Hurst, US Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, said ICE agents were executing warrants to arrest the \"illegal aliens\". \"They have to follow our laws, they have to abide by our rules, they have to come here legally or they shouldn't come here at all,\" he told a press conference. Some Trump supporters on Twitter also backed the agency, saying the law must be enforced. Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris said in a tweet: \"These ICE raids are designed to tear families apart, spread fear, and terrorise communities. These children went to daycare and are now returning home without their parents because Trump wants to play politics with their lives.\" Fellow 2020 contender Cory Booker echoed the same sentiment. \"The moral vandalism of this administration has no end - how is traumatising these kids, abandoning them, making anyone any safer?\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2545, "answer_start": 871, "text": "ICE spokesman Bryan Cox told the BBC that, of the 680 people arrested in Wednesday's raids, more than 300 had been released with notices to appear before immigration judges. \"They were placed into proceedings before the federal immigration courts and will have their day in court at a later date,\" he said in an emailed statement. Those who were not released will be moved to an ICE detention facility and held there, Mr Cox said. About 30 of the people detained were released on humanitarian grounds, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Mississippi said. Mr Cox said those arrested were asked if they had any dependents needing care or if they had any children at school who needed to be picked up. They were given access to phones at the processing site to make arrangements to care for their children. He said those with childcare issues were \"expeditiously processed and returned\". In response to critics who called the raids cruel and harmful to the workers' children, Mr Cox said the agency had directed two Homeland Security Investigations employees to notify schools of the operation and provide contact details for any children whose parents did not pick them up. \"This agency took extensive steps in planning for this operation to take special care of situations involving adults who may have childcare situations or children at school at the time of their arrest.\" Those detained had been taken to a Mississippi National Guard hangar for questioning. ICE did not share details about the nationalities of those detained, but the Mexican government has reportedly sent consular staff to the area to help any of their nationals who may be involved." } ], "id": "76_0", "question": "What did ICE say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3728, "answer_start": 2546, "text": "The raids took place just hours before Mr Trump arrived in the majority Latino city of El Paso to mark a mass shooting which left 22 people dead. About 600 ICE agents arrived at the chicken processing plants, owned by five different companies, in the towns of Bay Springs, Canton, Carthage, Morton, Pelahatchie and Sebastopol. Friends and family looked on as officers surrounded plants and began to arrest the workers. Nora Preciado, a supervising attorney at the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), told the BBC that, in many workplace raids, \"ICE often singles out people in a discriminatory fashion by focusing only on the Latino workers, and there are many incidents of excessive force during the detention and arrests\". \"These raids are rife with constitutional rights' violations, including agents having no legal authority to detain or arrest workers based solely on immigration status without probable cause,\" she said. \"Generally, regardless of whether released or not, anyone unauthorised will be put into deportation proceedings.\" In the Mississippi raids, officials said they executed federal criminal and administrative search warrants for the arrested individuals." } ], "id": "76_1", "question": "What happened at the plants?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5000, "answer_start": 3729, "text": "Some children were taken to a local gym after they came home to find their parents gone. In one video posted on Facebook from the Koch Foods plant in Morton, a young girl can be heard weeping uncontrollably as bystanders watch people being loaded on to a bus. An officer allows her to see her mother, who is the girl's only legal guardian, before the buses leave. Because the young girl is a US citizen, her mother will not be deported, the officer says. According to the Washington Post, the girl's mother had not been released as of Wednesday night. Ms Preciado of the NILC said research shows raids like this have a \"harmful impact on safety, educational success, social and behavioural well-being and overall health of children in immigrant families\". Scott County schools superintendent Tony McGee told the Clarion Ledger newspaper that one child had started kindergarten on Tuesday, only to have their parent arrested on Wednesday. Mr McGee said at least six families had a parent detained in the raids, with children ranging in age from kindergarten to high school. \"We'll worry about the school part of it after we get all this sorted out,\" he added. \"You can't expect a child to stay focused on the schoolwork when he's trying to focus on where Mom and Dad are.\"" } ], "id": "76_2", "question": "What happened to the children?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6056, "answer_start": 5001, "text": "Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba condemned the raids as \"dehumanising and ineffective\". The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called the operation \"unnecessary and cruel\". But Mike Hurst, US Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, said ICE agents were executing warrants to arrest the \"illegal aliens\". \"They have to follow our laws, they have to abide by our rules, they have to come here legally or they shouldn't come here at all,\" he told a press conference. Some Trump supporters on Twitter also backed the agency, saying the law must be enforced. Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris said in a tweet: \"These ICE raids are designed to tear families apart, spread fear, and terrorise communities. These children went to daycare and are now returning home without their parents because Trump wants to play politics with their lives.\" Fellow 2020 contender Cory Booker echoed the same sentiment. \"The moral vandalism of this administration has no end - how is traumatising these kids, abandoning them, making anyone any safer?\"" } ], "id": "76_3", "question": "What's been the reaction?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The stories of three people stranded in the Australian outback for two weeks have captured global attention. Two of them survived, while a body was found on Thursday, presumably of the third person. The outback is a vast remote area in the centre of Australia: dry, arid and almost entirely uninhabited. During summer, the outback can get extremely hot and getting lost is dangerous - but experts insist that most deaths are preventable. So what are the chances of surviving if lost and what are the factors that take or save a life? \"The biggest two factors are heat and dehydration,\" explains Dr Matt Brearley of Australia's Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre. Generally, a person can survive for three days without water - but that is only under certain conditions: without physical exertion or being exposed to too much heat in the direct sun. In the unforgiving summer of the outback, the window for surviving without water might be as short as one day, he explains. Only with shade and with minimal physical activity would a three-day survival in the outback be possible. The heat will likely shorten that window. Especially if - like in the most recent case - you're trying to free a car stuck in mud or even if you decide to walk and look for help. The group of three that got stranded in the Northern Territories had been travelling by car when their vehicle got stuck in a riverbed. They tried to free the vehicle but after three days split up to find help. \"Food is actually one of the least concerns in a situation like this,\" says Gordon Dedman of Bushcraft Survival Australia. People can survive without food for about three weeks, he explains. That means that long before food becomes an issue, it's the heat and the water that'll become crucial. \"We sum it up with the rule of three: you can survive three minutes without air, three days without water and three weeks without food.\" Both the risks of dehydration and starvation are higher if someone in a weaker physical condition to begin with - which includes children and the elderly. Aside from the dangers of dehydration, it's the heat itself that comes into play. Temperatures can rise well above 40C (104F) during the summer and that means that unsheltered exposure for a prolonged period of time can be deadly. \"The normal body temperature is between 37 and 38 degrees,\" explains Dr Brearley . \"If it rises above 40C, it gets dangerous.\" \"If you're doing physically strenuous activity, like getting a car out of a ditch or even just walking trying to reach help, your body temperature rises.\" And when it then is very hot outside, there's a risk the body can't cool down properly. \"If the body temperature stays above 40 degrees, your organs begin to fail - kidney and brain functions can be impaired and that means the person can die.\" In winter, outback temperatures can drop to freezing levels at night which means that warm clothing is also essential for survival. \"The best thing is to stay with the vehicle, that's a very important rule,\" stresses Mr Dedman. A car can be spotted much more easily by an aircraft and search missions are usually conducted from the air. So as long as there is some shelter at or around the car, it's best to stay put and wait to be found - rather than venture out to search for help. \"The problem is often that these decisions are made when people are already in a heat stress environment,\" Mr Brearley explains. \"And that means you're more likely to make the wrong decision.\" It is therefore important to have a Plan B long beforehand, so that you can then stick to that when things go wrong. If you do go out to look for help then key advice is to find a fence and stick with it. Farmers conduct regular checks on their fences and it's much more likely someone is found that way. One survivor from the recent group was in fact found by a farmer who was performing checks on his land, known locally as a station - about 160km (100 miles) south of the town of Alice Springs, police said. \"The tragedy of most of these cases is that they are very preventable,\" explains Mr Dedman. Very often it just boils down to precaution and preparation ahead of a trip to the outback. The fundamental basics are that you let someone know exactly where you're travelling and when you expect to be back. Also ensure you can call for help. Normal mobile phones don't have a signal across most of the outback. \"That's why people should bring either a satellite phone or an EPIRB on such trips,\" the outback coach stresses. An Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) is a device which can send a distress signal which will be picked up by local authorities who will then launch a search operation. \"With the right knowledge and preparation, getting stranded might be little more than an inconvenient camping experience,\" he says.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1473, "answer_start": 534, "text": "\"The biggest two factors are heat and dehydration,\" explains Dr Matt Brearley of Australia's Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre. Generally, a person can survive for three days without water - but that is only under certain conditions: without physical exertion or being exposed to too much heat in the direct sun. In the unforgiving summer of the outback, the window for surviving without water might be as short as one day, he explains. Only with shade and with minimal physical activity would a three-day survival in the outback be possible. The heat will likely shorten that window. Especially if - like in the most recent case - you're trying to free a car stuck in mud or even if you decide to walk and look for help. The group of three that got stranded in the Northern Territories had been travelling by car when their vehicle got stuck in a riverbed. They tried to free the vehicle but after three days split up to find help." } ], "id": "77_0", "question": "How long can you survive without water?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2059, "answer_start": 1474, "text": "\"Food is actually one of the least concerns in a situation like this,\" says Gordon Dedman of Bushcraft Survival Australia. People can survive without food for about three weeks, he explains. That means that long before food becomes an issue, it's the heat and the water that'll become crucial. \"We sum it up with the rule of three: you can survive three minutes without air, three days without water and three weeks without food.\" Both the risks of dehydration and starvation are higher if someone in a weaker physical condition to begin with - which includes children and the elderly." } ], "id": "77_1", "question": "How long without food?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2948, "answer_start": 2060, "text": "Aside from the dangers of dehydration, it's the heat itself that comes into play. Temperatures can rise well above 40C (104F) during the summer and that means that unsheltered exposure for a prolonged period of time can be deadly. \"The normal body temperature is between 37 and 38 degrees,\" explains Dr Brearley . \"If it rises above 40C, it gets dangerous.\" \"If you're doing physically strenuous activity, like getting a car out of a ditch or even just walking trying to reach help, your body temperature rises.\" And when it then is very hot outside, there's a risk the body can't cool down properly. \"If the body temperature stays above 40 degrees, your organs begin to fail - kidney and brain functions can be impaired and that means the person can die.\" In winter, outback temperatures can drop to freezing levels at night which means that warm clothing is also essential for survival." } ], "id": "77_2", "question": "How dangerous is the heat?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4004, "answer_start": 2949, "text": "\"The best thing is to stay with the vehicle, that's a very important rule,\" stresses Mr Dedman. A car can be spotted much more easily by an aircraft and search missions are usually conducted from the air. So as long as there is some shelter at or around the car, it's best to stay put and wait to be found - rather than venture out to search for help. \"The problem is often that these decisions are made when people are already in a heat stress environment,\" Mr Brearley explains. \"And that means you're more likely to make the wrong decision.\" It is therefore important to have a Plan B long beforehand, so that you can then stick to that when things go wrong. If you do go out to look for help then key advice is to find a fence and stick with it. Farmers conduct regular checks on their fences and it's much more likely someone is found that way. One survivor from the recent group was in fact found by a farmer who was performing checks on his land, known locally as a station - about 160km (100 miles) south of the town of Alice Springs, police said." } ], "id": "77_3", "question": "Wait for rescue or search for help?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4839, "answer_start": 4005, "text": "\"The tragedy of most of these cases is that they are very preventable,\" explains Mr Dedman. Very often it just boils down to precaution and preparation ahead of a trip to the outback. The fundamental basics are that you let someone know exactly where you're travelling and when you expect to be back. Also ensure you can call for help. Normal mobile phones don't have a signal across most of the outback. \"That's why people should bring either a satellite phone or an EPIRB on such trips,\" the outback coach stresses. An Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) is a device which can send a distress signal which will be picked up by local authorities who will then launch a search operation. \"With the right knowledge and preparation, getting stranded might be little more than an inconvenient camping experience,\" he says." } ], "id": "77_4", "question": "How do you keep in touch?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Detectives investigating devices sent to addresses in London and Glasgow have said a claim of responsibility has been made in the name of the \"IRA\". The Met and Police Scotland said similar packages were sent in the past by dissident Northern Ireland groups. Officers also revealed that one package may be unaccounted for. The devices arrived on 5 and 6 March at Waterloo Station, buildings near Heathrow Airport and London City Airport and the University of Glasgow. A joint statement from Police Scotland and the Metropolitan Police said the claim of \"IRA\" responsibility was received on Monday by the Belfast-based Irish News. A recognised codeword was used. It added: \"Given the packages received last week bore similarities to devices sent in the past which were linked to dissident groups associated with Northern Ireland-related terrorism, officers were already looking at this as a line of inquiry. However, we continue to keep an open mind and enquiries continue. \"We are also aware that those claiming responsibility have indicated five devices were sent. At this time, only four devices have been recovered. \"Extensive advice has already been issued to relevant businesses and sectors to be vigilant for and report suspicious packages to police. This advice was previously sent to armed forces personnel and is being reiterated again in light of this claim. \"We continue to urge the public to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious to police.\" Julian O'Neill, BBC Northern Ireland Home Affairs Correspondent The parcel bomb incidents come almost a year after MI5 downgraded the threat posed in Britain by Irish Republicans. It is currently classified as \"moderate\", meaning attacks are possible, but not likely. In Northern Ireland, the risk is greater, exemplified by a car bomb which detonated in Londonderry in January. All the attacks were claimed by an organisation calling itself the IRA. It is often referred to as \"the new IRA\", to distinguish it from the group which was active in Northern Ireland's troubles. It is comprised of dissidents who never accepted its namesake's ceasefire more than 20 years ago. Police on both sides of the Irish Sea have mostly been able to contain its threat. They have described it as \"a small\" organisation, perhaps with 50 or so actively engaging in terrorist activity. On 5 March, three \"small improvised explosive devices\" were found at sites across London. Scotland Yard said the packages were all A4-sized white postal bags containing yellow Jiffy bags. One caught fire when opened by staff at Heathrow. Irish police have been assisting the Met as the Heathrow and Waterloo packages had Republic of Ireland stamps. The following day, a suspect package was found in the mail room at Glasgow University. Several university buildings were evacuated before bomb disposal officers detonated the item.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2331, "answer_start": 1463, "text": "Julian O'Neill, BBC Northern Ireland Home Affairs Correspondent The parcel bomb incidents come almost a year after MI5 downgraded the threat posed in Britain by Irish Republicans. It is currently classified as \"moderate\", meaning attacks are possible, but not likely. In Northern Ireland, the risk is greater, exemplified by a car bomb which detonated in Londonderry in January. All the attacks were claimed by an organisation calling itself the IRA. It is often referred to as \"the new IRA\", to distinguish it from the group which was active in Northern Ireland's troubles. It is comprised of dissidents who never accepted its namesake's ceasefire more than 20 years ago. Police on both sides of the Irish Sea have mostly been able to contain its threat. They have described it as \"a small\" organisation, perhaps with 50 or so actively engaging in terrorist activity." } ], "id": "78_0", "question": "Who are 'the new IRA'?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The European Court of Human Rights is due to rule on whether the Russian government should have done more to prevent a school siege in the city of Beslan in which more than 330 people died in 2004. Chechen separatists took more than 1,000 hostages at School Number One, the vast majority of them children. It ended when Russian security forces stormed the building. Survivors say the troops used excessive force. A Russian inquiry stalled years ago. No Russian official has been held responsible for the high number of deaths, which included 186 children. Masked men and women, wearing bomb belts, burst into the school, opening fire in the courtyard as a ceremony marking the beginning of the school year was finishing. The hostages were crammed into their school sports hall beneath explosives strung from the basketball hoops. Their captors were demanding Russian troops pull out of Chechnya. The tense siege ended suddenly on the third day with two deadly explosions and intense gunfire. Witnesses described the operation by Russian security forces as chaotic, saying that the troops used excessive force and heavy weapons. Only one of the hostage takers was caught alive and put on trial. For more than a decade, survivors and relatives have been asking whether the siege could have been prevented and whether so many people had to die in the rescue operation. They say officials, including President Vladimir Putin, mishandled the hostage crisis and ignored intelligence indicating that a hostage-taking scenario was being planned. A Russian investigation into the events stalled several years ago. More than 400 of them have applied to the court in Strasbourg in the hope that it can deliver answers. The European Court of Human Rights is run by the Council of Europe, a pan-European human rights body of which Russia is a member. The council is a distinct entity and is not a branch of the European Union (EU). It aims to apply and to protect the civil and political rights of the continent's citizens. The court only hears a case when all domestic legal avenues have been exhausted. Countries must comply with the court's verdicts, although the court cannot directly enforce this.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1193, "answer_start": 556, "text": "Masked men and women, wearing bomb belts, burst into the school, opening fire in the courtyard as a ceremony marking the beginning of the school year was finishing. The hostages were crammed into their school sports hall beneath explosives strung from the basketball hoops. Their captors were demanding Russian troops pull out of Chechnya. The tense siege ended suddenly on the third day with two deadly explosions and intense gunfire. Witnesses described the operation by Russian security forces as chaotic, saying that the troops used excessive force and heavy weapons. Only one of the hostage takers was caught alive and put on trial." } ], "id": "79_0", "question": "What happened in Beslan?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1707, "answer_start": 1194, "text": "For more than a decade, survivors and relatives have been asking whether the siege could have been prevented and whether so many people had to die in the rescue operation. They say officials, including President Vladimir Putin, mishandled the hostage crisis and ignored intelligence indicating that a hostage-taking scenario was being planned. A Russian investigation into the events stalled several years ago. More than 400 of them have applied to the court in Strasbourg in the hope that it can deliver answers." } ], "id": "79_1", "question": "What do survivors and relatives say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2189, "answer_start": 1708, "text": "The European Court of Human Rights is run by the Council of Europe, a pan-European human rights body of which Russia is a member. The council is a distinct entity and is not a branch of the European Union (EU). It aims to apply and to protect the civil and political rights of the continent's citizens. The court only hears a case when all domestic legal avenues have been exhausted. Countries must comply with the court's verdicts, although the court cannot directly enforce this." } ], "id": "79_2", "question": "What is the power of the court?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "For several months, the pro-Kremlin media had nothing but praise for Donald Trump. During the US election campaign, Russian state TV bulletins and pro-government newspapers portrayed him as some kind of David taking on the Goliath of a \"corrupt... Russia-hating\" Washington elite. They welcomed his calls for warmer US-Russian relations. They played down some of his more outlandish comments. It was almost as if a US presidential candidate, and subsequently a new US president, had become the golden boy of Russian politics. In January he even received more mentions in the Russian media than President Vladimir Putin. But I detect a change in tone. On Friday, Russia's most popular tabloid, Komsomolskaya Pravda, accused President Trump of making \"contradictory\" statements about Nato. The paper points out: \"(During the election campaign) Trump had called the Alliance obsolete and useless. Less than two months have passed since he moved into the Oval Office and he's already expressed full support for Nato. \"As the saying goes, you need to be drunk to understand the true position of America's president.\" Friday's edition of the Russian government paper, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, notes: \"Recently the White House has been making many contradictory and incompatible statements about the foreign policy direction of Trump's team, including issues that affect Russia's interests.\" Reporting Thursday's meeting in Bonn between Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the new US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, the paper emphasises \"it was obvious how tense and, at the same time, confused Tillerson looked\". Meanwhile, Nezavisimaya Gazeta warns against \"excessive Trumpophilia\". And with President Trump under sustained pressure back home over alleged links to Russia, the business daily Vedomosti doubts he will have \"flexibility... in talks with Russia. \"Every step he takes, particularly any concessions, will be examined under a microscope. It's even hard to believe now that there ever was a window of opportunity (to improve relations) that made it seem worth raising our glasses and toasting Trump's victory.\" In recent days there has been noticeably less Trump on Russian TV. The resignation of the president's national security adviser Michael Flynn on Tuesday may have made headlines around the world. But it was not mentioned in Russian state TV's 45-minute evening news bulletin. That is extraordinary, considering that Russia was central to the story. There are reports that state television has been instructed to scale back its coverage of the US president. The Kremlin has dismissed these as \"rumours\". \"I was told by someone closely connected to one of Russia's main state TV companies that such instructions exist and were issued in the wake of Flynn's departure,\" says Konstantin Eggert, a political commentator for the independent channel TV Rain. \"As far as I know, the idea is not so much to present him in a negative light, but to scale down coverage of the United States in general. Inevitably I think there's going to be a scaling down of positive coverage of Trump, too. The Kremlin's idea is to reduce expectations from this much-anticipated detente between Moscow and Washington.\" President Putin's spokesman told the BBC reports of Kremlin meddling were \"absolute rubbish\" and \"fake news\". \"TV channels and the Russian media have total independence to decide their own editorial policy,\" Dmitry Peskov told me. I asked him whether he thought it was odd that Russian TV channels appeared to have reduced their coverage of Mr Trump. \"To be honest, we don't study so closely the proportions in which different stories are reported,\" he replied. US sets out cautious approach to Russia Russia: The scandal Trump can't shake Where Trump stands on key issues Last November one Russian official admitted to me having celebrated Mr Trump's victory - with a cigar and bottle of champagne. So why has the champagne gone flat? Judging by the angry reaction of senior Russian politicians, Moscow was disappointed by Michael Flynn's departure. The Trump adviser had championed closer US-Russian ties. Then came White House comments about Crimea, making clear that President Trump expects Russia to return the annexed peninsula to Ukraine. To Russia it seemed a sudden 180-degree turn. During the election campaign Donald Trump had told ABC television: \"The people of Crimea, from what I've heard, would rather be with Russia than where they were.\" And on Thursday senior members of the Trump administration sounded less than enthusiastic about the idea of a rapprochement with Moscow. US Defence Secretary James Mattis said Washington was \"not in a position right now to co-operate on the military level... Russia's aggressive actions have violated international law and are destabilising.\" US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson indicated that America \"will consider working with Russia\". That is hardly a ringing endorsement. Yet Donald Trump has made it clear he still believes a better relationship with Vladimir Putin and Russia is good for America. Could he once again becoming the American darling of the Russian media? That will partly depend on whether the two presidents can strike up a good relationship when they eventually meet. But it depends, too, on how much pressure President Trump will be under by then, over his team's alleged Russian connections.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5385, "answer_start": 3787, "text": "Last November one Russian official admitted to me having celebrated Mr Trump's victory - with a cigar and bottle of champagne. So why has the champagne gone flat? Judging by the angry reaction of senior Russian politicians, Moscow was disappointed by Michael Flynn's departure. The Trump adviser had championed closer US-Russian ties. Then came White House comments about Crimea, making clear that President Trump expects Russia to return the annexed peninsula to Ukraine. To Russia it seemed a sudden 180-degree turn. During the election campaign Donald Trump had told ABC television: \"The people of Crimea, from what I've heard, would rather be with Russia than where they were.\" And on Thursday senior members of the Trump administration sounded less than enthusiastic about the idea of a rapprochement with Moscow. US Defence Secretary James Mattis said Washington was \"not in a position right now to co-operate on the military level... Russia's aggressive actions have violated international law and are destabilising.\" US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson indicated that America \"will consider working with Russia\". That is hardly a ringing endorsement. Yet Donald Trump has made it clear he still believes a better relationship with Vladimir Putin and Russia is good for America. Could he once again becoming the American darling of the Russian media? That will partly depend on whether the two presidents can strike up a good relationship when they eventually meet. But it depends, too, on how much pressure President Trump will be under by then, over his team's alleged Russian connections." } ], "id": "80_0", "question": "Celebrations premature?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The lion was missing his courage, the tin man his heart and the scarecrow his brain. And in this alternate version of The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy was missing her ruby-red slippers. That was until this week, when it was announced that a pair of the shoes worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 film had been recovered, 13 years after they were stolen. It puts an end to a particularly intriguing disappearance - but here are five others that are still to be resolved. It was 31 December 1999 and fireworks were going off around Oxford as the new millennium was about to begin. Those who weren't celebrating were cowering in their bunkers in fear at what the Millennium Bug would bring. It was at this exact moment that someone entered the city's Ashmolean Museum, after sneaking in through a building site for a new library next door. The man - for it is believed to be a man - then let off a smoke canister to hide himself from cameras, before lifting Cezanne's Auvers-sur-Oise, a painting produced between 1879 and 1882 and worth at least PS3m (now $3.8m). Police think it was stolen to order, and the theft remains on the FBI's list of Top Ten Art Crimes. This particular sword, or katana, was produced in 14th-Century Japan by renowned swordmaker Masamune and was named a national treasure in 1939. It was said to be able to split a helmet in two and was worn by the shoguns, or rulers, of Japan's military government for centuries. There's just one problem: no-one knows where it is now. It is not clear what happened to the sword, or 14 others from the same collection, but it may have been handed to American soldiers at the end of World War Two when Japan surrendered its weapons. A search for a soldier who may have taken it - identified as Coldy Bimore, but possibly misinterpreted as Cole D B Moore - has proven fruitless. Austrian concert violinist Erica Morini was gifted a Stradivarius violin, dating to 1727, by her father in the 1930s. In October 1995, when she was aged 91 and living in New York City, Morini was admitted to hospital. While she was there, the violin - believed to be worth $3.5m (now PS2.7m) - was stolen from a cupboard in her locked apartment. Morini died a few days later, unaware of the theft, and the violin has never been recovered. Her case is not unique: there have been a number of thefts of Stradivarius violins in the US in recent years. On 26 November 1983, an armed gang raided the Brinks Mat warehouse near London's Heathrow Airport and stole close to three tonnes of gold bullion then worth about PS26m. The Brinks Mat robbery was said to be the biggest in British history - 6,800 bars of gold in 76 boxes. And two boxes of diamonds. A number of people were jailed for their part in the robbery and for laundering the proceeds, but it is not known what happened to most of the gold. A small amount is known to have been melted in the city of Bath before being resold. In truth, the stolen gold is unlikely to be recovered, as it is all thought to have been melted and sold over the past 35 years. Security camera footage showed the thief, later nicknamed Spiderman, clambering in to Paris' Museum of Modern Art in May 2010, before taking his time to walk around. He went on to commit what one city official called \"a serious crime to the heritage of humanity\", stealing five paintings by Picasso, Matisse and other great artists. It was the biggest art heist in 20 years. The thief, Vjeran Tomic, was jailed last year, but he told police he had panicked and hidden the paintings in a bin, and had assumed they were then destroyed. In their report, investigators said they believed the paintings had been transferred abroad, but they added there was no firm proof of this.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3711, "answer_start": 3037, "text": "Security camera footage showed the thief, later nicknamed Spiderman, clambering in to Paris' Museum of Modern Art in May 2010, before taking his time to walk around. He went on to commit what one city official called \"a serious crime to the heritage of humanity\", stealing five paintings by Picasso, Matisse and other great artists. It was the biggest art heist in 20 years. The thief, Vjeran Tomic, was jailed last year, but he told police he had panicked and hidden the paintings in a bin, and had assumed they were then destroyed. In their report, investigators said they believed the paintings had been transferred abroad, but they added there was no firm proof of this." } ], "id": "81_0", "question": "5) From the museum to the bin?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Rival protests over a murder in the east German city of Chemnitz have ended with several people injured as objects were hurled by both sides, police say. Far-right activists had gathered in the centre for a second day as a Syrian and an Iraqi remained under arrest on suspicion of Sunday's deadly stabbing. Anti-Nazi activists rallied just metres away, accusing the far right of using the death for political ends. Injuries were caused when protesters on both sides threw objects, police say. German Chancellor Angela Merkel had warned that \"vigilante justice\" would not be tolerated. Police warned masked demonstrators who were picking up stones in the city, about 200km (120 miles) south of Berlin, that their actions were being filmed. Earlier, authorities said police were investigating alleged assaults on an Afghan, a Syrian and a Bulgarian during the unrest that broke out on Sunday. Reports have included mentions of protesters chasing foreigners, though there are few details. Chemnitz police, quoted by the local broadcaster MDR, said: \"We did not anticipate such a total of participants [on Sunday]\". Bigger crowds thronged the city centre on Monday. MDR estimated the far-right turnout to be 5,000, with some 1,000 leftists opposed to them. It is unclear what triggered a fight which reportedly preceded the stabbing, at about 03:15 (01:15 GMT) on Sunday, on the sidelines of a street festival. The far-right demonstration in the city centre on Sunday caused the festival to be cancelled abruptly. The stabbing victim, a carpenter aged 35, was critically wounded and died in hospital. He has been named as Daniel H, who had a German mother and a Cuban father. Two other German men with him, aged 33 and 38, were seriously hurt, police say. The Syrian detainee is 23 and the Iraqi 22. Police have denied rumours on social media that the fight was linked to the sexual harassment of a woman. A half-Cuban woman who grew up with Daniel H, Nancy Larssen, told Deutsche Welle news that media misreporting had helped fuel the \"horrible\" far-right protest. \"It's sad that in the media they're just saying that a German has died, and that's why all the neo-Nazis and hooligans are out, but the media should describe who died, and what skin colour he had, because I don't think they'd be doing all this if they knew,\" she said. Another friend of Daniel H, quoted by the Chemnitz news site Freie Presse, described him as left-wing, with a seven-year-old son. Initially, about 100 people gathered on Sunday for a rally which passed off without incident, AFP news agency reports. However, some 800 people later gathered at the Karl Marx monument, a focal point in the centre of Chemnitz. The monument is a throwback to the city's days as a model socialist city in the former German Democratic Republic, when it was renamed Karl-Marx-Stadt. Freelance journalist Johannes Grunert told Spiegel Online he had witnessed some protesters using bottles to attack people \"who did not look German\". Pegida, the far-right street movement, called for a new demonstration on Monday afternoon, while an MP from the far-right political party AfD, Markus Frohnmaier, tweeted: \"If the state is no longer to protect citizens then people take to the streets and protect themselves. It's as simple as that!\" \"Today it's a citizen's duty to stop the lethal 'knife migration'!\" he wrote, alluding to the influx of migrants in recent years. \"It could have targeted your father, son or brother!\" As the heap of wreaths and candles at the spot where the murder occurred grew larger on Monday evening, right-wing demonstrators massed at the Marx monument, and counter-demonstrators gathered close by. Police reported some Hitler salutes among the far-right crowd, who held anti-immigration placards with messages like \"Stop the asylum flood\". \"We don't tolerate such unlawful assemblies and the hounding of people who look different or have different origins and attempts to spread hatred on the streets,\" Mrs Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, told journalists. \"That has no place in our cities and we, as the German government, condemn it in the strongest terms. Our basic message for Chemnitz and beyond is that there is no place in Germany for vigilante justice, for groups that want to spread hatred on the streets, for intolerance and for extremism.\" Martina Renner, an MP for the radical Left party, accused the far right of seeking to exploit the murder for political ends. \"A terrible murder, the background to which is still unclear, is being instrumentalised in the most repugnant way for racist riots in Chemnitz,\" she said in a tweet. In 2015, Chancellor Merkel decided to let in a record 890,000 asylum seekers. Syrians fleeing the civil war comprised the biggest group - a 403% rise on Syrian arrivals the previous year, the German migration office reported. She and her allies were punished by voters at last year's general election, when the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) entered parliament for the first time, winning 12.6% of the vote and more than 90 seats. Chemnitz is in Saxony, a region where AfD and Pegida are particularly strong.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2460, "answer_start": 1253, "text": "It is unclear what triggered a fight which reportedly preceded the stabbing, at about 03:15 (01:15 GMT) on Sunday, on the sidelines of a street festival. The far-right demonstration in the city centre on Sunday caused the festival to be cancelled abruptly. The stabbing victim, a carpenter aged 35, was critically wounded and died in hospital. He has been named as Daniel H, who had a German mother and a Cuban father. Two other German men with him, aged 33 and 38, were seriously hurt, police say. The Syrian detainee is 23 and the Iraqi 22. Police have denied rumours on social media that the fight was linked to the sexual harassment of a woman. A half-Cuban woman who grew up with Daniel H, Nancy Larssen, told Deutsche Welle news that media misreporting had helped fuel the \"horrible\" far-right protest. \"It's sad that in the media they're just saying that a German has died, and that's why all the neo-Nazis and hooligans are out, but the media should describe who died, and what skin colour he had, because I don't think they'd be doing all this if they knew,\" she said. Another friend of Daniel H, quoted by the Chemnitz news site Freie Presse, described him as left-wing, with a seven-year-old son." } ], "id": "82_0", "question": "What happened on Sunday?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3817, "answer_start": 2461, "text": "Initially, about 100 people gathered on Sunday for a rally which passed off without incident, AFP news agency reports. However, some 800 people later gathered at the Karl Marx monument, a focal point in the centre of Chemnitz. The monument is a throwback to the city's days as a model socialist city in the former German Democratic Republic, when it was renamed Karl-Marx-Stadt. Freelance journalist Johannes Grunert told Spiegel Online he had witnessed some protesters using bottles to attack people \"who did not look German\". Pegida, the far-right street movement, called for a new demonstration on Monday afternoon, while an MP from the far-right political party AfD, Markus Frohnmaier, tweeted: \"If the state is no longer to protect citizens then people take to the streets and protect themselves. It's as simple as that!\" \"Today it's a citizen's duty to stop the lethal 'knife migration'!\" he wrote, alluding to the influx of migrants in recent years. \"It could have targeted your father, son or brother!\" As the heap of wreaths and candles at the spot where the murder occurred grew larger on Monday evening, right-wing demonstrators massed at the Marx monument, and counter-demonstrators gathered close by. Police reported some Hitler salutes among the far-right crowd, who held anti-immigration placards with messages like \"Stop the asylum flood\"." } ], "id": "82_1", "question": "How did protests spread?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4624, "answer_start": 3818, "text": "\"We don't tolerate such unlawful assemblies and the hounding of people who look different or have different origins and attempts to spread hatred on the streets,\" Mrs Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, told journalists. \"That has no place in our cities and we, as the German government, condemn it in the strongest terms. Our basic message for Chemnitz and beyond is that there is no place in Germany for vigilante justice, for groups that want to spread hatred on the streets, for intolerance and for extremism.\" Martina Renner, an MP for the radical Left party, accused the far right of seeking to exploit the murder for political ends. \"A terrible murder, the background to which is still unclear, is being instrumentalised in the most repugnant way for racist riots in Chemnitz,\" she said in a tweet." } ], "id": "82_2", "question": "What did Merkel's office say exactly?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5147, "answer_start": 4625, "text": "In 2015, Chancellor Merkel decided to let in a record 890,000 asylum seekers. Syrians fleeing the civil war comprised the biggest group - a 403% rise on Syrian arrivals the previous year, the German migration office reported. She and her allies were punished by voters at last year's general election, when the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) entered parliament for the first time, winning 12.6% of the vote and more than 90 seats. Chemnitz is in Saxony, a region where AfD and Pegida are particularly strong." } ], "id": "82_3", "question": "Why is the migrant issue so thorny?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Indonesia's so-called fire season last year was one of the worst on record, but the fires are back and burning out of control with a state of emergency already declared in one province. Between about June and October, more than 100,000 fires burned down millions of hectares of fragile forest lands. There were human and animal fatalities, and the economic damage was estimated to be more than $15bn (PS10bn). For more than 20 years these fires have been an annual occurrence, as farmers and agricultural companies clear Indonesia's forests and carbon-rich peatlands to make way for pulpwood, palm oil and rubber plantations, or for smaller scale subsistence farming. But the fires have been getting gradually worse. Last year, the fires were so bad, that parts of Indonesia, together with cities across South East Asia, were blanketed in a thick toxic haze for weeks at a time. Half a million people were hospitalised due to the haze, and it was estimated that in those five months about 1.7 billion tonnes of carbon - roughly equivalent to what Brazil produces in a year - had been released into the atmosphere. Indonesia promised that it would do more to prevent the fires from returning in 2016. But the fires are back already - and now burning out of control. A state of emergency has been declared in the western province of Riau, on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, and the army and police have been called in to try to fight the blazes. So what more can the Indonesian government do? Indonesia's government owns the majority of the country's forest land. It provides grants or concessions to small scale farmers and to large companies. In the 1980s burning forest areas to clear land for agriculture was sanctioned by the government, and today Indonesia has the highest rate of deforestation in the world. For the last two decades, however, it has been against the law to clear more than two hectares of land each year, and using slash-and-burn methods for clearing is illegal. But large companies have been accused of paying off small farmers for the use of their concession land - sometimes with just cigarettes and clothes - and then asking those small farmers to clear it for them. - Farmers cut down forests and wild plants on their land, then set a fire to clear what remains - It is cheap and quick and some farmers believe they are ridding their land of diseases that could hurt their crops - Fires to clear land can spark wild fires and spread to carbon-rich peatlands - The peat fires release vast amounts of carbon emissions Policing the companies and small farmers responsible for lighting fires has been a huge challenge, and the forestry industry is often described as being riddled with corruption. Last year President Joko Widodo told the BBC that he had gone to great lengths to tackle the fires, including the deployment of more than 10,000 police and soldiers and water-bombing planes. And Mr Widodo said further development of peatlands would be banned, and that, where possible, his country's carbon-rich lands should be restored. But he also told the BBC it would take at least three years before the world would see significant improvements as a result of on-going efforts to control the fires. When the fires restarted this year, Henry Purnomo, a scientist who works at the Centre for International Forestry Resarch (Cifor), an organisation which works closely with the government, said Indonesia was employing some of its best fire-prevention efforts to date. He says while the fires are not yet very big \"we will need to move fast to suppress those fires burning now\". Cifor's Mr Purnomo said environmental workers were out in the field doing their best to rehabilitate about 600,000 hectares of precious peatlands - with the aim of restoring some two million hectares in the coming years. \"There is a lot of important work being done by the government as well as the private sector, including the giant companies and the wood plantation companies - they are trying to work together,\" he said. \"And President Jokowi has said regional chiefs of police will be replaced if there are ongoing fires in their region.\" In December last year, Indonesia announced that more than 50 companies would be punished for their role in the fires - and that further investigations were taking place. Just weeks later, however, a $565m lawsuit against one plantation company was rejected due to lack of evidence. However Mr Purnomo said Indonesia's government was continuing to investigate companies with questionable operations. But there still are concerns that directives from central government may be ignored locally. Meanwhile, Indonesia's anti-corruption commission said it was encouraging local government agencies in affected areas to come together on prevention efforts and report illegal behaviour to the authorities. But Dian Patria, acting director of research and development at Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission, says the biggest challenge is that no-one wants to be held responsible for the decades-old problem. \"There has been bad governance and bad management of the forests, based on our study of the last 12 years, and everyone says it is the fault of the previous minister, or previous governor,\" says Mr Patria. \"There are a lot of stakeholders - local government, public and also the licensees - they must be less corrupt and work with us to solve it right now. The private sector especially has to be responsible.\" he added. \"Many of the companies you must realise are based in Singapore and Malaysia too. They are not just Indonesian companies.\" Peter Holmgren, head of Cifor told the BBC that his teams are developing longer-term programmes to improve the situation. But he said there were no quick or easy solutions. \"It's not a matter of putting the fires out today - it's a matter of changing how land is being used, how agriculture is being practised and how the opportunities for people's livelihood are developing,\" he said. Mr Holmgren, who is based in Indonesia, but works across 45 countries in fire prevention and research, also said it was not just about providing aid to Indonesia or to poor farmers. \"It's obviously now primarily a matter of domestic policies and domestic regulations,\" he said. \"But... a lot of the activities that are going on are because there are investments in land conversion and development - and obviously those investments engage international financial institutions in different ways. \"So there are probably opportunities in looking at how the international finance system is regulating itself. And to look at the standards around which investments by large international institutions are being made.\" International forestry and fire fighting experts say one of the biggest problems facing Indonesia is its lack of fire-fighting know-how, particularly at a local level. And fire prevention expert Tony Bartlett says wildfires, particularly forest fires, are an increasing problem as the impact of climate change increases. Mr Bartlett who works for Australia's Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) says the international community can support Indonesia in tackling the blazes. He argues it is essential to quickly detect and respond to forest fires \"with people that are well trained, properly managed and coordinated, and who can deal with different types of forest fires.\" \"But it's very difficult when you have peatland on fire,\" he said. \"Forest fires look easy by comparison.\" In the longer term, Cifor's head Mr Holmgren says one solution would be to take agriculture away from peatland completely. But he argues the root of the problem is the income insecurity of poor farmers and that tackling that should be the priority. \"The target is poverty,\" he says. \"The target is economic growth and inclusive green growth. And the target is food security,\" he added. \"If the issue is isolated to and portrayed as a climate change matter - and that's the story that everyone is hearing - then that is missing the target.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2195, "answer_start": 1494, "text": "Indonesia's government owns the majority of the country's forest land. It provides grants or concessions to small scale farmers and to large companies. In the 1980s burning forest areas to clear land for agriculture was sanctioned by the government, and today Indonesia has the highest rate of deforestation in the world. For the last two decades, however, it has been against the law to clear more than two hectares of land each year, and using slash-and-burn methods for clearing is illegal. But large companies have been accused of paying off small farmers for the use of their concession land - sometimes with just cigarettes and clothes - and then asking those small farmers to clear it for them." } ], "id": "83_0", "question": "What is causing the fires?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3604, "answer_start": 2546, "text": "Policing the companies and small farmers responsible for lighting fires has been a huge challenge, and the forestry industry is often described as being riddled with corruption. Last year President Joko Widodo told the BBC that he had gone to great lengths to tackle the fires, including the deployment of more than 10,000 police and soldiers and water-bombing planes. And Mr Widodo said further development of peatlands would be banned, and that, where possible, his country's carbon-rich lands should be restored. But he also told the BBC it would take at least three years before the world would see significant improvements as a result of on-going efforts to control the fires. When the fires restarted this year, Henry Purnomo, a scientist who works at the Centre for International Forestry Resarch (Cifor), an organisation which works closely with the government, said Indonesia was employing some of its best fire-prevention efforts to date. He says while the fires are not yet very big \"we will need to move fast to suppress those fires burning now\"." } ], "id": "83_1", "question": "How has Indonesia tackled its fires in the past?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5602, "answer_start": 3605, "text": "Cifor's Mr Purnomo said environmental workers were out in the field doing their best to rehabilitate about 600,000 hectares of precious peatlands - with the aim of restoring some two million hectares in the coming years. \"There is a lot of important work being done by the government as well as the private sector, including the giant companies and the wood plantation companies - they are trying to work together,\" he said. \"And President Jokowi has said regional chiefs of police will be replaced if there are ongoing fires in their region.\" In December last year, Indonesia announced that more than 50 companies would be punished for their role in the fires - and that further investigations were taking place. Just weeks later, however, a $565m lawsuit against one plantation company was rejected due to lack of evidence. However Mr Purnomo said Indonesia's government was continuing to investigate companies with questionable operations. But there still are concerns that directives from central government may be ignored locally. Meanwhile, Indonesia's anti-corruption commission said it was encouraging local government agencies in affected areas to come together on prevention efforts and report illegal behaviour to the authorities. But Dian Patria, acting director of research and development at Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission, says the biggest challenge is that no-one wants to be held responsible for the decades-old problem. \"There has been bad governance and bad management of the forests, based on our study of the last 12 years, and everyone says it is the fault of the previous minister, or previous governor,\" says Mr Patria. \"There are a lot of stakeholders - local government, public and also the licensees - they must be less corrupt and work with us to solve it right now. The private sector especially has to be responsible.\" he added. \"Many of the companies you must realise are based in Singapore and Malaysia too. They are not just Indonesian companies.\"" } ], "id": "83_2", "question": "What is the government doing now?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6699, "answer_start": 5603, "text": "Peter Holmgren, head of Cifor told the BBC that his teams are developing longer-term programmes to improve the situation. But he said there were no quick or easy solutions. \"It's not a matter of putting the fires out today - it's a matter of changing how land is being used, how agriculture is being practised and how the opportunities for people's livelihood are developing,\" he said. Mr Holmgren, who is based in Indonesia, but works across 45 countries in fire prevention and research, also said it was not just about providing aid to Indonesia or to poor farmers. \"It's obviously now primarily a matter of domestic policies and domestic regulations,\" he said. \"But... a lot of the activities that are going on are because there are investments in land conversion and development - and obviously those investments engage international financial institutions in different ways. \"So there are probably opportunities in looking at how the international finance system is regulating itself. And to look at the standards around which investments by large international institutions are being made.\"" } ], "id": "83_3", "question": "What more could be done?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "UK and EU politicians have given very different accounts of how the UK's Brexit negotiations should proceed. The EU's Trade Commissioner, Cecilia Malmstrom, says the UK cannot begin negotiating trade terms with the bloc until after it has left. \"First you exit then you negotiate,\" she told BBC Newsnight. But the BBC understands other EU Commission officials privately believe it is \"inconceivable\" that trade talks would not start before the UK's exit. One of the candidates to be next UK prime minister, Liam Fox, called Ms Malmstrom's stance \"bizarre and stupid\", saying the Brexit talks would include trade. But the BBC's Chris Morris in Brussels says Ms Malmstrom's view of two consecutive sets of negotiations appears technically correct. At the EU summit this week the 27 government leaders - without the UK - agreed Brexit \"divorce\" talks should begin and end before any talks on a new settlement for the UK, Chris Morris says. Brussels sources told our correspondent there was a real determination among the leaders not to mix the two. The statement from the 27 said they wanted the UK to be \"a close partner of the EU\". But they also spoke of an agreement to be \"concluded with the UK as a third country\". The phrase \"third country\" means the UK post-Brexit. Outside the EU, the UK would trade with the bloc under World Trade Organization rules, pending a possible new deal on free trade. WTO conditions would mean trade tariffs and non-tariff barriers, as the UK would no longer be in the EU single market. Not until a new Conservative leader is elected, who will replace David Cameron as prime minister by October. Then it will be up to the new leader to decide when to trigger the EU's Article 50, the procedure for withdrawing from the EU. Article 50 sets a two-year deadline for withdrawal from the EU. But the detailed negotiations on the UK's future relations with the EU could last years longer. Much depends on who wins the Conservative leadership. There are also divisions in the Leave camp over which of the UK's current EU arrangements should be kept. Immigration was such a key issue in the referendum there is likely to be hard bargaining over free movement of EU workers. But EU leaders have said access to the single market requires the free movement of people. Achieving continued preferential access to the EU single market of 500m consumers would be a big prize for the UK. But there are also voices in the Leave camp urging a UK focus on trade with other partners. Could there be free trade without free movement? Once the UK has given notification under Article 50, the European Council - that is, the other 27 governments and council president - will adopt guidelines for the negotiations. It is not yet clear how the EU will organise its negotiating team, but the European Commission will take charge of the details. The final deals on UK withdrawal and a future UK-EU relationship will have to be agreed by the EU's top institutions - the European Council, Commission and European Parliament.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1914, "answer_start": 1519, "text": "Not until a new Conservative leader is elected, who will replace David Cameron as prime minister by October. Then it will be up to the new leader to decide when to trigger the EU's Article 50, the procedure for withdrawing from the EU. Article 50 sets a two-year deadline for withdrawal from the EU. But the detailed negotiations on the UK's future relations with the EU could last years longer." } ], "id": "84_0", "question": "When do Brexit talks start?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2544, "answer_start": 1915, "text": "Much depends on who wins the Conservative leadership. There are also divisions in the Leave camp over which of the UK's current EU arrangements should be kept. Immigration was such a key issue in the referendum there is likely to be hard bargaining over free movement of EU workers. But EU leaders have said access to the single market requires the free movement of people. Achieving continued preferential access to the EU single market of 500m consumers would be a big prize for the UK. But there are also voices in the Leave camp urging a UK focus on trade with other partners. Could there be free trade without free movement?" } ], "id": "84_1", "question": "What sort of deal does the UK want?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3027, "answer_start": 2545, "text": "Once the UK has given notification under Article 50, the European Council - that is, the other 27 governments and council president - will adopt guidelines for the negotiations. It is not yet clear how the EU will organise its negotiating team, but the European Commission will take charge of the details. The final deals on UK withdrawal and a future UK-EU relationship will have to be agreed by the EU's top institutions - the European Council, Commission and European Parliament." } ], "id": "84_2", "question": "Who will negotiate with the UK?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "New political parties have a remarkably high failure rate in the UK. They almost never succeed - but are things different now? The success of new French President Emmanuel Macron, who created a liberal pro-European party of government, En Marche, from scratch in less than two years, has made some people wonder if it could happen in the UK. Conventional wisdom says a fresh face could never rise so rapidly to the top - the first-past-the-post electoral system is biased in favour of the existing \"big two\" parties, the argument goes. But politics is more fast-moving and fluid than it has ever been and there appears, to some at least, to be a gap in the market. \"The Tories are committing Euro-suicide. Labour is kidding itself that a party with no economic policy can govern. There is a chasm in the middle of British politics,\" wrote Tony Blair's former speech writer Philip Collins recently in the Times. Dominic Cummings, who masterminded the Vote Leave campaign, said on Twitter this week that a new party looks increasingly \"tempting\" (although he does not spell out what it might stand for). Even Gary Lineker has got in on the act. \"Anyone else feel politically homeless? Everything seems far right or way left. Something sensibly centrist might appeal?\" Lineker asked Twitter recently. Within minutes, one of the Match-of-the-Day-presenter's followers had called for the creation of En Marche of the Day, with the ex-England footballer as leader, naturally. Anti-Brexit Conservative MP Anna Soubry sounded like she could hardly wait for the birth of a new party in a New Statesman interview. \"If it could somehow be the voice of a moderate, sensible, forward-thinking, visionary middle way, with open minds - actually things which I've believed in all my life - better get on with it.\" But she was speaking before the general election. Jeremy Corbyn's better-than-expected performance at the general election has killed off any talk of new parties in the Labour ranks, for now. \"Moderate\" Labour MPs who thought Mr Corbyn was leading their party to oblivion have been forced to eat their words and rally behind him, as he agitates for another general election. But the truce may be temporary, says Prof Tim Bale, of London's Queen Mary university, with continued \"scepticism\" among Labour MPs about \"whether the direction Jeremy Corbyn is taking the Labour Party can actually get it into government in the long term\". \"I don't think the split between the Parliamentary Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn has gone away. It's probably gone underground for a little bit but it hasn't disappeared,\" he adds. \"Why don't you join the Liberals?\" is the taunt currently being directed at \"moderate\" Labour MPs by the more hard core Corbynistas. Lib Dem leader elect Sir Vince Cable has said he would happily provide shelter for \"refugees\" from Labour but he is directing his energy towards \"cross-party\" working to scupper what he regards as Theresa May's \"hard\" Brexit. With just 12 MPs, he knows that this is his party's best hope of wielding any real influence, for now. If launching a new party is too hard, why not launch something that looks a bit like a new party but isn't? Something that could, perhaps, be quickly turned into one if the time was right. Earlier this year, Tony Blair launched a \"new policy platform to refill the wide open space in the middle of politics\". The former Labour prime minister insisted his Institute for Global Change was more than a think tank, saying it will arm politicians with policies to \"rebuild\" the centre ground and combat the growth of right wing populism. Former Lib Dem leader, Lord Ashdown, has, meanwhile, helped to set up More United, an organisation inspired by the words of murdered Labour MP Jo Cox, who famously appealed for tolerance in her maiden Commons speech. More United pumped some fairly serious cash into the campaigns of mainly Labour and Lib Dem MPs - the sole Tory was Anna Soubry - at this year's general election. The money was raised through crowdfunding and the MPs who got elected, and who had signed up to More United's policy agenda - tolerance, \"working with the EU\" and fighting inequality - are proudly displayed on the group's website, sans party branding. Recent British politics is littered with the remains of dead parties. Here are just a few of them: Libertas - Ambitious attempt to set up a pan-European party by Irish telecom magnate Declan Ganley. Won one European Parliament seat in France. Veritas - Where Robert Kilroy-Silk went when he stormed out of UKIP. Merged with another Eurosceptic fringe outfit, the English Democrats, after Kilroy-Silk's departure. NO2EU - Late rail union leader Bob Crow's bid to make the left-wing case for leaving the EU. Morphed into a trade-unions-against-the-EU campaign. The Jury Team - Late millionaire Tory donor Sir Paul Judge poured money into independent candidates. Few were elected. Your Party - An early stab at crowd sourcing policies by a group of marketing executives. Met with apathy and quietly killed off. It is not all doom - small parties can and do break through on to the national stage in the UK. The public are willing to give them a hearing in a way that they never did in the past - witness the seven-way debates at election time and the extraordinary rise of the SNP. But the ones that succeed tend to be born in the angry margins, speaking up for voters who feel their views are being ignored by the mainstream. The \"centre ground\" tends to be the preserve of political insiders, who can come with a lot of unhelpful baggage. UKIP and the Green Party both built successful grass-roots movements from the ground up, gaining their first foothold in the European Parliament, which uses a form of proportional representation and is therefore kinder to smaller parties. Neither has been able to get more than one MP elected at Westminster, however. To do that, you probably still need to attract significant numbers of MPs from other parties, to make you look like a serious contender for power. Like the SDP did. They were going to \"break the mould of British politics\" and for a brief period it looked like they might just do it. The Social Democratic Party (SDP) was formed in the early 1980s by a group of high-profile Labour MPs disillusioned with the \"hard left\" direction their party was taking. The new \"centre ground\" force soared in the opinion polls and eventually recruited 28 Labour MPs, and one Tory, to its ranks. Their efforts to gain power through an alliance with the Liberal Party succeeded in getting a quarter of votes at the 1983 election, but, thanks to first-past-the-post voting, that only translated into 23 MPs. They had a similar result in 1987 prompting moves which ended up with a merger with the older party - to form what would become the Liberal Democrats. The Lib Dems went on to get more than 50 MPs at later elections but the party has so far failed to match their 1980s vote share. The SDP never quite died. David Owen's party lives on, minus David Owen or any of the original \"gang of four\" founders, its flickering flame kept alive by a handful of diehards who never accepted the merger with the Liberals and new members attracted by what they see as its \"sensible\", centrist message. \"Just because we failed once, it doesn't mean we are going to fail again,\" says SDP leader Steve Winstone, a former UKIP election candidate. Today's SDP, which got fewer than 500 votes at the general election, is all about \"direct democracy\", electoral reform and regional government. It is based in Sheffield and claims to be growing quickly. The Liberal Party also survived the 1988 merger. Its leader, Steve Radford, got 2,000 more votes than the Liberal Democrat candidate at this year's general election in the Liverpool, West Derby constituency, although still finished third. He looks forward to the creation of a new centre ground party at Westminster because it would \"take a great weight off our shoulders\", ending the public's confusion between the Liberal Democrat \"defectors\" and his own party, which he says is the true home of \"liberalism\". \"They (the Lib Dems) have damaged our brand,\" he tells BBC News. The SDP and the Liberal Party are both in favour of Brexit because, they say, the people voted for it. Neither leader would discuss the size of their parties' membership, but it is not a large number. Oh, and - 80s nostalgists take note - Steve Winstone has not ruled out an alliance with the Liberals to fight for electoral reform... So, if building a movement from the grass roots is a non-starter, if you have ambitions of running the country, but launching a new party with the same old, tarnished Westminster faces is likely to turn voters off, then what exactly would it take? \"You would need at least 100 or so MPs,\" and it would need to be a \"spectacular\" and game-changing coup, says Prof Tim Bale. \"It would need to be exciting enough - and big enough and sexy enough - to convince people.\" A charismatic leader, without too much baggage (sorry, Tony) is a must. And timing would be everything. If the launch is too far from the next general election, the shine could come off and the whole enterprise come crashing to the ground before anyone gets a chance to vote for it, says Prof Bale. The disappointing performance of the Lib Dems at the general election suggests a new party would need to have a broader policy agenda than just being against Brexit, he adds. \"It still seems to me to be unlikely. But we do live in interesting times so I wouldn't rule anything out.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6964, "answer_start": 6060, "text": "They were going to \"break the mould of British politics\" and for a brief period it looked like they might just do it. The Social Democratic Party (SDP) was formed in the early 1980s by a group of high-profile Labour MPs disillusioned with the \"hard left\" direction their party was taking. The new \"centre ground\" force soared in the opinion polls and eventually recruited 28 Labour MPs, and one Tory, to its ranks. Their efforts to gain power through an alliance with the Liberal Party succeeded in getting a quarter of votes at the 1983 election, but, thanks to first-past-the-post voting, that only translated into 23 MPs. They had a similar result in 1987 prompting moves which ended up with a merger with the older party - to form what would become the Liberal Democrats. The Lib Dems went on to get more than 50 MPs at later elections but the party has so far failed to match their 1980s vote share." } ], "id": "85_0", "question": "Three letters that spell disaster?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Brazil's top court has voted to overturn a rule about the jailing of criminals - a change which could lead to ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva being freed from custody. The ruling, announced on Thursday, stipulates that convicted criminals should go to prison only after they have exhausted their appeal options. The change could lead to the release of thousands of prisoners, including Lula. The left-winger led Brazil between 2003 and 2010, but was jailed last year. He was favourite to win last year's presidential election but was imprisoned after being implicated in a major corruption investigation. However, even if he is released, he will be barred from standing for office because of his criminal record. Lula has consistently denied all the accusations against him and claims they are politically motivated. After he was barred from running, far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro went on to win the race. Lula's lawyers say they will seek the former president's \"immediate release\" after speaking to him on Friday. Justices voted to reinterpret the country's penal code in a six-five vote issued on Thursday. It overturns a three-year-old rule which mandated immediate prison time for convicted criminals after they lost their first appeal. Brazil's corruption scandal, known as Operation Car Wash, initially centred on the state-run oil company Petrobras, but subsequently billions of dollars of bribes were uncovered - and dozens of high-profile business leaders and politicians were jailed. The mandatory imprisonment rule was seen as helping prosecutors secure convictions and unravel the major corruption scandal by encouraging suspects to negotiate plea deals. But critics claimed it violated Brazil's constitution - which states that no one can be deprived of their liberty without due process of law. The country's Car Wash task force described Thursday's overturning as being \"inconsistent\" with efforts to fight corruption. The proposed change was also opposed by Sergio Moro, the judge who sentenced Lula, who is now serving as Mr Bolsonaro's justice minister. Chief Justice Jose Antonio Dias Toffoli, who cast the deciding vote, said releases would be made on a case-by-case basis. The change could affect almost 5,000 prisoners, according to National Council of Justice estimates. Lula was jailed in 2018 after being sentenced to more than 12 years in prison, later reduced to eight years and 10 months, for receiving a beachside apartment from an engineering company implicated in the Car Wash investigation. Earlier this year, he was sentenced to another 12 years after being found guilty of accepting bribes in the form of renovation work at a country house from construction companies. Lula, 74, argues all the charges made against him are politically motivated. He is former trade union activist and remains an iconic and popular figure for the left. Gleisi Hoffman, the leader of Lula's Worker's Party, called Thursday's development \"a very important step to strengthen democracy and the constitution at a time when they are under threat from an extreme-right government.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2306, "answer_start": 1028, "text": "Justices voted to reinterpret the country's penal code in a six-five vote issued on Thursday. It overturns a three-year-old rule which mandated immediate prison time for convicted criminals after they lost their first appeal. Brazil's corruption scandal, known as Operation Car Wash, initially centred on the state-run oil company Petrobras, but subsequently billions of dollars of bribes were uncovered - and dozens of high-profile business leaders and politicians were jailed. The mandatory imprisonment rule was seen as helping prosecutors secure convictions and unravel the major corruption scandal by encouraging suspects to negotiate plea deals. But critics claimed it violated Brazil's constitution - which states that no one can be deprived of their liberty without due process of law. The country's Car Wash task force described Thursday's overturning as being \"inconsistent\" with efforts to fight corruption. The proposed change was also opposed by Sergio Moro, the judge who sentenced Lula, who is now serving as Mr Bolsonaro's justice minister. Chief Justice Jose Antonio Dias Toffoli, who cast the deciding vote, said releases would be made on a case-by-case basis. The change could affect almost 5,000 prisoners, according to National Council of Justice estimates." } ], "id": "86_0", "question": "What was the ruling?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The wreckage of a submarine which went missing with 44 crew on board a year ago has been found, the Argentine navy says. The ARA San Juan submarine disappeared 430km (270 miles) off the Argentine coast on 15 November 2017. The navy stopped its rescue mission two weeks after the sub's disappearance. However, a year and a day after it went missing, officials announced it had been found 800m (2,620ft) below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. According to a tweet from the Argentine navy, the ARA San Juan had been positively identified under the water by a US company. The navy had earlier shared a picture from the seabed, suggesting a 60m-long object might be the missing submarine. Relatives gathered to remember their loved ones earlier this week, while President Mauricio Macri promised to keep up the search for the submarine. The ARA San Juan was returning from a routine mission to Ushuaia, near the southern tip of South America, when it reported an \"electrical breakdown\". According to naval commander Gabriel Galeazzi, the submarine surfaced and reported what was described as a \"short circuit\" in the vessel's batteries. The sub was ordered to cut its mission short and return to the naval base in Mar del Plata immediately. The Argentine navy's last contact with the vessel was at approximately 07:30 (10:30 GMT) on 15 November, at which point its captain reportedly confirmed that the crew were well. Eight days after the sub vanished, the Vienna-based Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organisation said that it had detected a noise a few hours after the sub's last contact. The body, which operates a network of listening posts to monitor nuclear explosions, said that there had been a \"hydro-acoustic anomaly\" about 30 nautical miles (60km) north of the sub's last-known position at 10:31 (13:31 GMT). The Argentine navy said it could have been the sound of the submarine imploding. Navy spokesman Enrique Balbi told reporters last year that water had entered the submarine's snorkel, which can be used to take in air from above the surface when the submarine is submerged. The saltwater dripped on to a battery tray in the prow, causing the battery to short circuit and to smoulder, he said. The sub had reported the fault and had been ordered back to base but then disappeared.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2301, "answer_start": 834, "text": "The ARA San Juan was returning from a routine mission to Ushuaia, near the southern tip of South America, when it reported an \"electrical breakdown\". According to naval commander Gabriel Galeazzi, the submarine surfaced and reported what was described as a \"short circuit\" in the vessel's batteries. The sub was ordered to cut its mission short and return to the naval base in Mar del Plata immediately. The Argentine navy's last contact with the vessel was at approximately 07:30 (10:30 GMT) on 15 November, at which point its captain reportedly confirmed that the crew were well. Eight days after the sub vanished, the Vienna-based Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organisation said that it had detected a noise a few hours after the sub's last contact. The body, which operates a network of listening posts to monitor nuclear explosions, said that there had been a \"hydro-acoustic anomaly\" about 30 nautical miles (60km) north of the sub's last-known position at 10:31 (13:31 GMT). The Argentine navy said it could have been the sound of the submarine imploding. Navy spokesman Enrique Balbi told reporters last year that water had entered the submarine's snorkel, which can be used to take in air from above the surface when the submarine is submerged. The saltwater dripped on to a battery tray in the prow, causing the battery to short circuit and to smoulder, he said. The sub had reported the fault and had been ordered back to base but then disappeared." } ], "id": "87_0", "question": "What happened to the sub?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "US basketball legend Kobe Bryant has died in a helicopter crash in California, sparking an outpouring of grief from fans around the world. Bryant, 41, and his daughter Gianna, 13, were among the nine killed when the aircraft came down in Calabasas. There were no survivors from Sunday's crash which happened in foggy weather. Bryant, a five-time NBA champion, played for the LA Lakers throughout his career and is considered one of the greatest players in the game's history. Tributes from celebrities, politicians and fellow sports stars have been pouring in, many expressing shock at his sudden death. Moments of silence have been observed at basketball games across the US. Fans gathered at a makeshift memorial for Bryant in front of the Staples Center - where the Lakers play - on Sunday, laying flowers and basketballs in memory of the star. Bryant was also remembered at the Grammy Awards which were held at the same venue on Sunday evening. \"We're all feeling crazy sadness right now,\" said Grammys host Alicia Keys. \"Because earlier today Los Angeles, America and the whole wide world lost a hero. We're literally standing here heartbroken in the house that Kobe Bryant built.\" The NBA issued a statement saying it was \"devastated by the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna\". \"For 20 seasons, Kobe showed us what is possible when remarkable talent blends with an absolute devotion to winning,\" it said. There have been tributes from as far away as the Philippines - where a new basketball centre named after Bryant opened just hours before his death - and Italy, where Bryant spent part of his childhood as his father played in the Italian basketball league. A minute's silence would be observed at all basketball games \"in every category for the entire week\", the Italian basketball federation (Fip) said on Monday. Fip president Giovanni Petrucci said Bryant \"has been and will always be linked to Italy\". Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the helicopter's manifest indicated that nine people were on board when it crashed, raising the number from five in earlier statements by officials. Coroners have not officially named the victims. Family members and colleagues however said John Altobelli, coach of the Orange Coast College baseball team, was among the passengers, along with his wife Keri and their 13-year-old daughter Alyssa - who played with Bryant's daughter, Gianna. Christina Mauser, a basketball coach at Gianna's school, was also on board, her husband wrote on Facebook. In a statement on Sunday afternoon, the City of Calabasas said it heard the news \"with great sadness\". \"The aircraft went down in a remote field off Las Virgenes around 10:00 this morning. Nobody on the ground was hurt,\" it added. Investigators are still trying to find out the cause of the crash. But conditions were foggy, and local police had grounded their helicopters due to the poor weather. Kurt Deetz, who has flown helicopters carrying Bryant in the past, told the Los Angeles Times that weather was a more likely cause of the accident than a mechanical issue. \"The likelihood of a catastrophic twin engine failure on that aircraft - it just doesn't happen,\" he said. Gavin Masak, who lives nearby, told CBS News of the moment the helicopter crashed. \"It wasn't exactly like an explosion sound but it was like a loud boom. It sounded like a helicopter, but it sounded like a jet, like it was loud, so I went inside and told my dad what was happening. So when I came out I saw smoke on the hill but it wasn't like a big, black cloud of smoke, it was just grey,\" he said. Other eyewitnesses told celebrity news site TMZ they heard the helicopter's engine sputtering before it went down. Roads in the area have been closed to stop people trying to get to the crash site. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) identified the crashed helicopter as a Sikorsky S-76B. Bryant was known for taking his helicopter to beat traffic in Los Angeles. Bryant played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He retired in April 2016. His achievements include being the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and two-time NBA Finals MVP. He was also NBA scoring champion twice and a two-time Olympic champion. He famously scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in 2006, the second-highest single-game total in NBA history. He also won an Oscar for best short animated film in 2018 for Dear Basketball, a five-minute film based on a love letter to the sport he had written in 2015. Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, have three other daughters, Natalia, Bianca and Capri. Bryant was accused of sexual assault in 2003 by a 19-year-old woman working at a Colorado resort. He denied the allegation, saying the two had consensual sex. The case was dropped after the accuser refused to testify in court. He later apologised, saying he recognised that \"she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did\". A subsequent civil suit was settled out of court. Tributes for the sports star poured in on social media following news of the crash - from fellow players, but also from politicians and entertainers. \"Terrible news,\" tweeted US President Donald Trump. \"He loved his family so much, and had such strong passion for the future. The loss of his beautiful daughter, Gianna, makes this moment even more devastating.\" Former US President Barack Obama described Bryant as \"a legend on the court\" and said he was \"just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act\". Pop star Mariah Carey said she was in shock, while rapper Kanye West tweeted his appreciation for \"the life you've lived and all the inspiration you gave\". \"This is absolutely terrible. Everyone is numb,\" American actress and model Chrissy Teigen tweeted. Did you ever meet Kobe Bryant? Share your experiences by emailing [email protected]. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: - WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803 - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Send pictures/video to [email protected] - Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3965, "answer_start": 1936, "text": "Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the helicopter's manifest indicated that nine people were on board when it crashed, raising the number from five in earlier statements by officials. Coroners have not officially named the victims. Family members and colleagues however said John Altobelli, coach of the Orange Coast College baseball team, was among the passengers, along with his wife Keri and their 13-year-old daughter Alyssa - who played with Bryant's daughter, Gianna. Christina Mauser, a basketball coach at Gianna's school, was also on board, her husband wrote on Facebook. In a statement on Sunday afternoon, the City of Calabasas said it heard the news \"with great sadness\". \"The aircraft went down in a remote field off Las Virgenes around 10:00 this morning. Nobody on the ground was hurt,\" it added. Investigators are still trying to find out the cause of the crash. But conditions were foggy, and local police had grounded their helicopters due to the poor weather. Kurt Deetz, who has flown helicopters carrying Bryant in the past, told the Los Angeles Times that weather was a more likely cause of the accident than a mechanical issue. \"The likelihood of a catastrophic twin engine failure on that aircraft - it just doesn't happen,\" he said. Gavin Masak, who lives nearby, told CBS News of the moment the helicopter crashed. \"It wasn't exactly like an explosion sound but it was like a loud boom. It sounded like a helicopter, but it sounded like a jet, like it was loud, so I went inside and told my dad what was happening. So when I came out I saw smoke on the hill but it wasn't like a big, black cloud of smoke, it was just grey,\" he said. Other eyewitnesses told celebrity news site TMZ they heard the helicopter's engine sputtering before it went down. Roads in the area have been closed to stop people trying to get to the crash site. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) identified the crashed helicopter as a Sikorsky S-76B. Bryant was known for taking his helicopter to beat traffic in Los Angeles." } ], "id": "88_0", "question": "What do we know about the crash?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A German family of four were among seven people killed when a helicopter and a microlight plane collided mid-air over the Spanish island of Majorca. The debris came down on farmland near Inca, in the north of the popular tourist island off the east coast. The German couple and their two children were in the helicopter, which belonged to Rotorflug, a German firm. The helicopter pilot was Italian. A Spanish man, from Valencia, was in the microlight plane with a friend. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed \"solidarity and sympathies\" with the victims. The collision happened in the air over the Inca Hospital at about 13:36 (12:36 GMT) on Sunday, local newspaper Diario De Mallorca reports. Visibility was good at the time, and the cause is not clear. Both aircraft caught fire in the collision, reports say. The microlight is a type of small aircraft with a maximum of two seats. Photos made available from the local fire service showed wreckage from the aircraft in the town. The tail section of one landed on a road, while another photo showed twisted and blackened metal on fire in a garden. The helicopter involved was a Bell 206 L3 LongRanger, part of a fleet operated by Rotorflug, which provides sightseeing flights for tourists. A company statement on Sunday said \"the cause is still totally unclear\". It said Germany's aviation authority and air accident investigators were now examining the case, alongside the Majorcan authorities. \"All the staff at Rotorflug are deeply saddened and mourn the deceased,\" it said.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1538, "answer_start": 565, "text": "The collision happened in the air over the Inca Hospital at about 13:36 (12:36 GMT) on Sunday, local newspaper Diario De Mallorca reports. Visibility was good at the time, and the cause is not clear. Both aircraft caught fire in the collision, reports say. The microlight is a type of small aircraft with a maximum of two seats. Photos made available from the local fire service showed wreckage from the aircraft in the town. The tail section of one landed on a road, while another photo showed twisted and blackened metal on fire in a garden. The helicopter involved was a Bell 206 L3 LongRanger, part of a fleet operated by Rotorflug, which provides sightseeing flights for tourists. A company statement on Sunday said \"the cause is still totally unclear\". It said Germany's aviation authority and air accident investigators were now examining the case, alongside the Majorcan authorities. \"All the staff at Rotorflug are deeply saddened and mourn the deceased,\" it said." } ], "id": "89_0", "question": "What do we know?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Environmental groups in the US have begun a legal challenge to President Donald Trump's approval of the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline. The 1,180-mile (1,900km) pipeline will carry tar sands oil from Canada to refineries on the Texas coast. A lawsuit filed in Montana by a coalition of groups says more environmental scrutiny is required. They - and some landowners - are concerned about potential contamination of ground and surface water. Supporters of the project say such fears are exaggerated. President Trump, who overturned President Barack Obama's rejection of the project, has said the pipeline will create jobs and improve US energy independence. Keystone XL pipeline: Why is it so disputed? The environmental groups - including the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, Northern Plains Resource Council, Bold Alliance, Friends of the Earth and the Center for Biological Diversity - say an environmental review of the proposed pipeline that was completed in 2014 is inadequate and outdated. Their lawsuit says that review minimises or ignores significant environmental impacts of Keystone XL, which will carry a particularly dirty type of crude oil, \"including harm to land, air, water, and wildlife\". The $8bn pipeline, first proposed in 2008, would carry more than 800,000 barrels of oil a day. TransCanada, a Calgary-based company, wants to build it to carry oil from Canada through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. From there, it would connect with an existing Keystone pipeline network that would transport the oil to Texas Gulf Coast refineries. The US state department issued a permit for the project earlier this month after an evaluation which was required because the pipeline crosses an international border. But regulators in Nebraska have still to review the proposed route through their state before approving or rejecting it. The state's elected Public Service Commission will decide whether it believes the project serves a public interest, after reviewing evidence presented at a public hearing. TransCanada says the pipeline will create 13,000 jobs over two years, but opponents argue the vast majority of these jobs will be short-term work in the construction phase.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2216, "answer_start": 1230, "text": "The $8bn pipeline, first proposed in 2008, would carry more than 800,000 barrels of oil a day. TransCanada, a Calgary-based company, wants to build it to carry oil from Canada through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. From there, it would connect with an existing Keystone pipeline network that would transport the oil to Texas Gulf Coast refineries. The US state department issued a permit for the project earlier this month after an evaluation which was required because the pipeline crosses an international border. But regulators in Nebraska have still to review the proposed route through their state before approving or rejecting it. The state's elected Public Service Commission will decide whether it believes the project serves a public interest, after reviewing evidence presented at a public hearing. TransCanada says the pipeline will create 13,000 jobs over two years, but opponents argue the vast majority of these jobs will be short-term work in the construction phase." } ], "id": "90_0", "question": "More jobs?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Bushfires ravaging the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) have largely destroyed a very small town, residents have said. More than 80 fires - including 20 uncontained - were still burning on Monday following record temperatures. The Rural Fire Service (RFS) said it was remarkable no lives were lost amid \"catastrophic\" weekend conditions. But about nine of 12 buildings in the tiny community of Uarbry had been destroyed, according to locals. RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons could not confirm that number but said \"most buildings\" in Uarbry had been razed or damaged. The blaze, dubbed Sir Ivan, had an active fire edge of about 200km (124 miles) and had burned through 50,000 hectares near Dunedoo, Mr Fitzsimmons said. \"One of our captains in that local area was a resident of Uarbry,\" he said. \"He was out fighting the fires and he has come back to find that his home is destroyed.\" Local resident Peter Gilmour told Sydney's Daily Telegraph that only three houses in the town were unaffected. \"Most neighbours have lost everything,\" he said. More than 2,500 firefighters, many of them volunteers, were battling the fires. One firefighter had suffered a severe hand laceration, while another suffered serious burns to the hands, arms and face, Mr Fitzsimmons said. Officials said the weekend conditions were worse than during the 2009 \"Black Saturday\" fires in the state of Victoria, which killed 173 people. NSW broke its record for the hottest average statewide temperature on Saturday, with 44C. The towns of Forbes (46.C) and Richmond (47C) had their hottest days on record. Interstate, records were also broken in the Queensland towns of Gatton (45.6C), Oakley (42.6C), Toowoomba (40.8C) and Kingaroy (41.6C). Australia's weather bureau forecast a cool change to arrive on Monday. Emergency Services Minister Troy Grant said the conditions were unprecedented. \"Those in our community who are feeling relieved that we may have dodged a bullet, we must remember that there are many who have been devastated by fires in their regions,\" he said. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian thanked firefighters for their efforts. \"We are not out of the woods, however, we are beyond the worst part of those catastrophic conditions that existed over the weekend,\" she said. Australia is particularly prone to bushfires as much of the country has both a hot, dry climate, and plenty of vegetation to burn. All it then takes to start a fire is ignition, and there can be as many as a thousand lightning strikes in a storm. Their impact can be reduced by preparation: authorities can clear vulnerable land in advance and build more fire-resistant settlements; individuals can prepare their own defences and escape plans. Less fast-moving fires can be fought by \"direct attack\" - ground troops with hoses - but more dangerous situations have to be fought with strategic techniques like \"back-burning\" land ahead of an advancing fire, to starve it of fuel when it arrives. Read more: Fighting Australia's bushfire threat", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2521, "answer_start": 2275, "text": "Australia is particularly prone to bushfires as much of the country has both a hot, dry climate, and plenty of vegetation to burn. All it then takes to start a fire is ignition, and there can be as many as a thousand lightning strikes in a storm." } ], "id": "91_0", "question": "What causes the fires?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2718, "answer_start": 2522, "text": "Their impact can be reduced by preparation: authorities can clear vulnerable land in advance and build more fire-resistant settlements; individuals can prepare their own defences and escape plans." } ], "id": "91_1", "question": "Is there any way to stop them happening?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has acknowledged that there can only be a change of government with the support of the armed forces. Military chiefs have so far remained loyal to President Nicolas Maduro. Mr Guaido declared himself interim leader in January and says he is supported by \"almost 90%\" of Venezuelans. He also has US backing. On Sunday Venezuelan authorities said they would shorten the working day and keep schools closed due to power cuts. Offices would stop working at 14:00 local time \"to achieve consistency in the provision of electricity\", Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez said on state TV. Mr Guaido told the BBC's Leonardo Rocha that the frequent power cuts and water shortages - which have hit hospitals, public transport and other services - were driving intense public anger against Mr Maduro's government. \"We have a situation now with protests in more than 20 districts of the capital, Caracas, and in all Venezuelan states. People are demanding that power and water supplies be restored, but also for the usurper, Nicolas Maduro, to go, which is the main message,\" he said. The government has claimed the blackouts are the result of sabotage to force Mr Maduro from office. However, Mr Guaido said Mr Maduro could not be removed unless Venezuela's military switched allegiance. \"The support and the backing of the armed forces will be necessary in order to achieve democratic and peaceful change in Venezuela in all areas, including to protect protesters from the pro-government armed militias,\" he said. Mr Guaido - who the government says will be barred from holding further public office for 15 years - dismissed the recent reported arrival of Russian troops in Venezuela as a \"provocation\" by Mr Maduro to \"try to show some sort of support that he really doesn't have\". \"The Russians haven't made any concrete moves. They haven't shown any real support apart from, perhaps, some diplomatic statements,\" he said. On Saturday the Red Cross (IFRC) said it could begin distributing aid to Venezuela in two weeks. IFRC head Francesco Rocca said the group could initially help 650,000 suffering from shortages of food and medicine. In February, the government blocked the delivery of US-backed aid convoys, calling them a veiled US invasion. Mr Maduro narrowly won a presidential election in April 2013 after the death of his mentor, President Hugo Chavez. He was elected to a second term in May 2018 in an election seen as flawed by international observers. Venezuela has experienced economic collapse - inflation was 800,000% last year. Three million people have left. Mr Guaido has accused President Maduro of being unfit for office, and won the support of many in the country as well as US and EU leaders. The Maduro government is becoming increasingly isolated but Moscow has expanded co-operation with Caracas - increasing arms sales and extending credit.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2903, "answer_start": 2284, "text": "Mr Maduro narrowly won a presidential election in April 2013 after the death of his mentor, President Hugo Chavez. He was elected to a second term in May 2018 in an election seen as flawed by international observers. Venezuela has experienced economic collapse - inflation was 800,000% last year. Three million people have left. Mr Guaido has accused President Maduro of being unfit for office, and won the support of many in the country as well as US and EU leaders. The Maduro government is becoming increasingly isolated but Moscow has expanded co-operation with Caracas - increasing arms sales and extending credit." } ], "id": "92_0", "question": "What's the background?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Opening up air travel for the growing numbers of Indians who want to fly has been a promise of the current government since it came to power in 2014. It has rolled out an ambitious project to extend regional air networks to connect underserved destinations to the major cities. The ruling BJP says its efforts have shown results, declaring that the number of airports operating in India has increased significantly. In the run-up to the Indian election, which gets under way on 11 April, BBC Reality Check is examining claims and pledges made by the main political parties. Claim: The ruling BJP party says it has increased the number of operational airports in India from 65 in 2014 to 102 by this year. It also claims that in 2017, more than 100 million passengers flew on domestic routes - and for the first time, more people travelled by air than in air-conditioned train compartments. Verdict: The data - from both government and aviation authorities - does point to more airports since 2014. But the exact number differs according to which source you use. The claims about air passenger numbers are true. In February, the ruling BJP referred to 102 operational airports in a social media posting - saying this was up from 65 in 2014, when it came to power. There are several sources for official data - but they do not match. The Airports Authority of India, which is responsible for civil infrastructure, identifies 68 operational airports in 2013-14. By March 2018, it reported that there were 129 airports - but did not say how many were operational. A government statement in parliament in July 2018 said 101 were operational. India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) - the body that regulates civil aviation - has the following figures: - In March 2015, there was a total of 97 airports operating - By March 2018, this had gone up to 109 Its website does not have airport numbers for 2014. It is worth adding that the Congress party-led government - in power from 2009 to 2014 - told parliament that as many as 90 airports were operational by February 2014, a higher figure than that given by the BJP. And the annual report of the Ministry of Civil Aviation for the same year mentions 94 operational airports. So if you take these figures, the increase in new airports under the BJP looks less dramatic. What about the BJP claim that more than 100 million passengers flew on domestic routes in 2017, and in that year more people travelled by air than in air-conditioned train compartments? A statement in parliament last year said that the total number of passengers on scheduled domestic routes was 103.75 million for the fiscal year 2016-17. And the DGCA figures show that there were already nearly 100 million passengers carried on domestic routes during the calendar year of 2016. So did more passengers travel by air than by the most expensive class of rail travel in 2017 - air conditioned (AC) coach? According to the annual report of Indian railways in 2016-17, the number of AC coach passengers that year was about 145.5 million. The DGCA says there were a total of 158.43 million passengers on both domestic and international air routes in India in 2017, surpassing those using AC train carriages. Stiff competition between domestic airlines in recent years has pushed down the cost of flights to a level now comparable with AC rail travel, and of course it's much faster. However, many more millions continue to use cheaper forms of rail travel.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2328, "answer_start": 1113, "text": "In February, the ruling BJP referred to 102 operational airports in a social media posting - saying this was up from 65 in 2014, when it came to power. There are several sources for official data - but they do not match. The Airports Authority of India, which is responsible for civil infrastructure, identifies 68 operational airports in 2013-14. By March 2018, it reported that there were 129 airports - but did not say how many were operational. A government statement in parliament in July 2018 said 101 were operational. India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) - the body that regulates civil aviation - has the following figures: - In March 2015, there was a total of 97 airports operating - By March 2018, this had gone up to 109 Its website does not have airport numbers for 2014. It is worth adding that the Congress party-led government - in power from 2009 to 2014 - told parliament that as many as 90 airports were operational by February 2014, a higher figure than that given by the BJP. And the annual report of the Ministry of Civil Aviation for the same year mentions 94 operational airports. So if you take these figures, the increase in new airports under the BJP looks less dramatic." } ], "id": "93_0", "question": "How many airports?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3481, "answer_start": 2329, "text": "What about the BJP claim that more than 100 million passengers flew on domestic routes in 2017, and in that year more people travelled by air than in air-conditioned train compartments? A statement in parliament last year said that the total number of passengers on scheduled domestic routes was 103.75 million for the fiscal year 2016-17. And the DGCA figures show that there were already nearly 100 million passengers carried on domestic routes during the calendar year of 2016. So did more passengers travel by air than by the most expensive class of rail travel in 2017 - air conditioned (AC) coach? According to the annual report of Indian railways in 2016-17, the number of AC coach passengers that year was about 145.5 million. The DGCA says there were a total of 158.43 million passengers on both domestic and international air routes in India in 2017, surpassing those using AC train carriages. Stiff competition between domestic airlines in recent years has pushed down the cost of flights to a level now comparable with AC rail travel, and of course it's much faster. However, many more millions continue to use cheaper forms of rail travel." } ], "id": "93_1", "question": "How many passengers?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Plaid Cymru, which sees itself as a left-wing party aiming to increase economic prosperity and social justice in Wales with independence as a long-term aim, will be hoping to add to its three MPs in Westminster. The Party of Wales was established in 1925, but it had to wait until 1966 for its first electoral breakthrough, when party president Gwynfor Evans won Carmarthen in a by-election. But Plaid Cymru struggled to build substantially on that success and has never won more than four seats at Westminster. Its electoral fortunes improved after the narrow vote in favour of devolution in the 1997 referendum which led to the creation of the National Assembly for Wales. Although it once served in a governing coalition with Labour in Wales, it currently sits in opposition with 11 AMs. Plaid Cymru contested the 2015 general election at a time when its sister party, the SNP, was enjoying unprecedented power - something Plaid aspires to replicate in Wales. Plaid currently has three MPs. A consistent performance in the 2015 election meant it retained the same three seats it won in the 2010 general election. As of July 2016, Plaid had 8,273 members. Leanne Wood: she's the first female leader in the party's history and her election was seen as a sign of Plaid's desire to build new support in urban and industrial parts of Wales. Under Wood, who is learning to speak Welsh, Plaid's emphasis has not heavily been on independence after opinion polls suggested only modest support for it. As such, much of Plaid's campaign in 2015 focused on alternatives to austerity and a call for Wales to get the same level of spending on devolved services per head as Scotland. There was speculation after the 8 June general election was called that Wood would stand in the Rhondda, but days later she ruled herself out. In this campaign, Wood has attacked Labour over its divisions and will be hoping to attract pro-EU voters. Other key players are Adam Price, a former MP and sitting AM who is co-ordinating the party's general election campaign. Meanwhile, Ynys Mon AM Rhun ap Iorwerth is the party's director of communications. Both he and Mr Price have been tipped as future leaders of Plaid. Hywel Williams, Plaid Cymru candidate in Arfon, is the party's leader in Westminster. Gareth Clubb is the party's chief executive. \"If the dark clouds of Tory rule lurk on the horizon, then Plaid Cymru is the ray of hope.\" \"We want to ensure that Britain is a more secure and united nation - that means acting against the extremists who want to divide us but it also means standing up to the separatists who want to break up this precious union of nations,\" Theresa May, prime minister. Plaid will be hoping to hang on to their existing three seats, and is focused on a further six where the party thinks it can perform well. The party is hoping to take the Labour-held seats of Ynys Mon, Rhondda, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent and Llanelli - as well as the Liberal Democrat-held seat of Ceredigion. Plaid's best hope is Ynys Mon - the Isle of Anglesey, where former Ieuan Wyn Jones will be standing. In 2015 Plaid fell just short of gaining the seat from Labour by 229 votes. Seats that could shape Wales' general election Wood wants to send the \"largest number of Plaid MPs possible\" to Westminster, and if she falls short, she says she's will not resign. \"I've got a long-term project. It's building quite well and I want to see it through,\" she says. Leanne Wood argues that only her party can protect Wales against what could be a dominant Conservative government, citing what she says is falling support for Labour. In the 2017 local elections Plaid gained 33 seats, while Labour lost 107, although it remained the biggest party in Wales. Plaid Cymru, which campaigned to stay in the EU, says it accepts that the people of Wales voted to leave, but says single market membership should be preserved to protect Welsh jobs. As in England, the majority (52.5%) of voters in Wales voted to leave the European Union. In January, Wood and the Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones jointly published a white paper setting out Wales' plans for Brexit. At its heart were proposals for \"continued participation in the single market\" as well as a \"balanced approach to immigration linking migration to jobs\". Other demands included \"a fundamentally different constitutional relationship between the devolved governments and the UK government\" as well as \"proper considerations of a transitional agreement.\" - Protect Wales's economy, identity, and the Assembly from a Conservative power grab - Ensure every penny that is lost from Europe as a result of Brexit is replaced by Westminster - Build new hospitals, schools, roads and railways funded by a multi-billion pound investment programme - Pioneer a new Health and Social Care Rescue Plan - Forge a Free Trade Deal Shield for Wales protecting core industries and agriculture sector Plaid Cymru election manifesto 2017 Plaid Cymru manifesto at-a-glance Guide to the parties: Conservatives Guide to the parties: Labour Guide to the parties: Liberal Democrats Guide to the parties: UK Independence Party Guide to the parties: Green Party Guide to the parties: Scottish National Party", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1157, "answer_start": 963, "text": "Plaid currently has three MPs. A consistent performance in the 2015 election meant it retained the same three seats it won in the 2010 general election. As of July 2016, Plaid had 8,273 members." } ], "id": "94_0", "question": "Where are they now?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3442, "answer_start": 2679, "text": "Plaid will be hoping to hang on to their existing three seats, and is focused on a further six where the party thinks it can perform well. The party is hoping to take the Labour-held seats of Ynys Mon, Rhondda, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent and Llanelli - as well as the Liberal Democrat-held seat of Ceredigion. Plaid's best hope is Ynys Mon - the Isle of Anglesey, where former Ieuan Wyn Jones will be standing. In 2015 Plaid fell just short of gaining the seat from Labour by 229 votes. Seats that could shape Wales' general election Wood wants to send the \"largest number of Plaid MPs possible\" to Westminster, and if she falls short, she says she's will not resign. \"I've got a long-term project. It's building quite well and I want to see it through,\" she says." } ], "id": "94_1", "question": "What do they hope to achieve?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3732, "answer_start": 3443, "text": "Leanne Wood argues that only her party can protect Wales against what could be a dominant Conservative government, citing what she says is falling support for Labour. In the 2017 local elections Plaid gained 33 seats, while Labour lost 107, although it remained the biggest party in Wales." } ], "id": "94_2", "question": "Strong suit?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4485, "answer_start": 3733, "text": "Plaid Cymru, which campaigned to stay in the EU, says it accepts that the people of Wales voted to leave, but says single market membership should be preserved to protect Welsh jobs. As in England, the majority (52.5%) of voters in Wales voted to leave the European Union. In January, Wood and the Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones jointly published a white paper setting out Wales' plans for Brexit. At its heart were proposals for \"continued participation in the single market\" as well as a \"balanced approach to immigration linking migration to jobs\". Other demands included \"a fundamentally different constitutional relationship between the devolved governments and the UK government\" as well as \"proper considerations of a transitional agreement.\"" } ], "id": "94_3", "question": "Where do they stand on Brexit?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "David Bowie was a pop music icon to many, but how many people know he was also involved in innovation in the world of finance? In the mid-1990s, David Bowie, his financial manager Bill Zysblat, and banker David Pullman came up with a new scheme to generate cash from Bowie's extensive back catalogue. In 1997 Bowie sold asset-backed securities, dubbed \"Bowie bonds\", which awarded investors a share in his future royalties for 10 years. The securities, which were bought by US insurance giant Prudential Financial for $55m (PS38m), committed Mr Bowie to repay his new creditors out of future income, and gave a fixed annual return of 7.9%. He struck a deal with record label EMI which allowed him to package up and sell bonds on royalties for 25 albums released between 1969 and 1990 - which included classics such as The Man Who Sold The World, Ziggy Stardust, and Heroes, according to the Financial Times. Bowie used part of the $55m to buy out his former manager Tony DeFries, with whom he had split with in 1975, says music writer Paul Trynka. Mr Bowie's realisation in the 1970s that he didn't own all the rights to his catalogue - Mr DeFries reportedly owned up to 50%, on a sliding scale, in perpetuity, for music created up to a certain point - had caused Bowie to have a mental breakdown of sorts, Mr Trynka says. \"He had this psychological nose-dive - all this music he had suffered to create didn't [entirely] belong to him.\" Mr Trynka says sources close to the deal suggested that the Bowie bonds allowed Mr Bowie to buy Mr DeFries out for more than $27m, but this amount has not been confirmed. However the deal was split, it would have certainly helped Mr Bowie's finances. The latest estimate of Bowie's net worth by the Sunday Times Rich List is PS135m - putting him him joint 707th on the list, equal with pop star Robbie Williams, and Conservative Party co-treasurer Lord Lupton. And that is before sales of Bowie's new album, Blackstar, which the Official Charts Company predicts will be number one on the album charts this week, and back catalogue sales following Bowie's death. He sold around 150 million albums worldwide in his career, according to BPI stats. The pioneering nature of Bowie bonds caught the imagination of all sorts of musicians. Heavy metal monster Iron Maiden, funk and soul godfather James Brown, and Holland Dozier Holland, the song-writing team behind Motown records in the 1960s, were some of the artists to jump on the bandwagon. But just as some albums are more successful than others, innovations in debt investment can also have mixed fortunes. In 2004 rating agency Moody's Investors Services downgraded Bowie bonds to only one level above \"junk\", the lowest rating, after a downturn in the music industry. Mr Bowie had himself predicted the decline in traditional music sales, telling the New York Times in 2002 that music would become \"like running water or electricity\". However, the bonds \"worked out well for everyone\", according to music industry finance expert Cliff Dane. \"Due to the particular nature of the security - the quality of the relevant Bowie songs and recordings - and the time and the place, it made very good economic sense for the investors, and for the company organising it.\" The model wasn't necessarily good for all asset-backed financing, Mr Dane says: \"Think of the later bundling of sub-prime mortgages.\" Bowie's innovation lay in using intellectual property to back securities, says financial writer Chris O'Leary. He adds that banks were already starting to package up assets like mortgages into a new type of security in the 1970s. But the innovation of using unorthodox assets to back securities is still going strong, according to Reuters writer Neil Unmack, who said Mr Bowie's financial legacy is \"hunky dory\". \"The wider field of esoteric asset-backed securities kick-started by the Thin White Duke has a genuine future,\" he says. Sales of non-traditional asset-backed debt made up 11% of the total last year, he says. \"The risks are high: assets with little history are hard to model and vulnerable to sudden changes in regulation or government intervention. \"But enough of them will succeed for Bowie's financial oddity to stay in fashion,\" he adds.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2181, "answer_start": 1048, "text": "Mr Bowie's realisation in the 1970s that he didn't own all the rights to his catalogue - Mr DeFries reportedly owned up to 50%, on a sliding scale, in perpetuity, for music created up to a certain point - had caused Bowie to have a mental breakdown of sorts, Mr Trynka says. \"He had this psychological nose-dive - all this music he had suffered to create didn't [entirely] belong to him.\" Mr Trynka says sources close to the deal suggested that the Bowie bonds allowed Mr Bowie to buy Mr DeFries out for more than $27m, but this amount has not been confirmed. However the deal was split, it would have certainly helped Mr Bowie's finances. The latest estimate of Bowie's net worth by the Sunday Times Rich List is PS135m - putting him him joint 707th on the list, equal with pop star Robbie Williams, and Conservative Party co-treasurer Lord Lupton. And that is before sales of Bowie's new album, Blackstar, which the Official Charts Company predicts will be number one on the album charts this week, and back catalogue sales following Bowie's death. He sold around 150 million albums worldwide in his career, according to BPI stats." } ], "id": "95_0", "question": "Under pressure?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "European leaders have welcomed the result of the Netherlands election, which saw the anti-immigration party of Geert Wilders fail to become the largest in parliament. Prime Minister Mark Rutte's centre-right VVD won by some margin. For Francois Hollande of France it was a \"clear victory against extremism\", while German Chancellor Angela Merkel hailed a \"good day for democracy\". The vote was closely watched ahead of elections in France and Germany. The Netherlands was seen by many as a bellwether for how populist parties will perform in those polls. - Chancellor Merkel: \"I was very glad, and I think many people are, that a high turnout led to a very pro-European result.\" - Centrist French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron: \"A breakthrough for the extreme right is not a foregone conclusion.\" - European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker: The people of the Netherlands voted for \"free and tolerant societies in a prosperous Europe\". - European Jewish Congress: \"We hope that this electoral victory will begin ... a 'domino effect' of mainstream parties pushing back against extremism and populism\". In contrast, Turkey, currently embroiled in a bitter dispute with the Netherlands, had little positive to say. \"Hey Rutte, you may have won the election as first party, but you have lost a friend like Turkey,\" President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a rally. Celebrating victory, Mr Rutte said the Dutch people had rejected \"the wrong kind of populism\". \"The Netherlands said 'Whoa!'\" he declared. With all but two vote counts complete, the prime minister's party has won 33 out of 150 seats, a loss of eight seats from the previous parliament. Mr Wilders' Freedom party was in second place on 20 seats, a gain of five, with the Christian Democrats (CDA) and the liberal D66 party close behind with 19 seats each. The Green-Left party also did well, winning 14 seats, an increase of 10. The Labour Party (PvdA), the junior party in the governing coalition, suffered a historic defeat by winning only nine seats, a loss of 29. Turnout was 80.2%, which analysts say may have benefited pro-EU and liberal parties. The number of voters was a record 10.3 million, according to public broadcaster NOS. France goes to the polls next month to elect a new president, with the far right National Front forecast to increase its vote dramatically. In Germany, the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) may win seats in parliament for the first time in September's general election. Mr Rutte had already spoken of the election as a quarter-final against populism ahead of the French and German polls. Weeks before the election, opinion polls forecast the PVV winning the biggest number of seats but Mr Wilders' lead vanished as the vote drew near. He had pledged to take the Netherlands out of the EU, close all mosques and ban the Koran. He warned that Mr Rutte had \"not seen the last\" of him. \"It's not the 30 seats I hoped for but we have gained seats,\" he added. \"This patriotic spring will happen.\" Defeated Labour leader Lodewijk Asscher agreed that \"populism is not over\". The anger and insecurity of voters was reflected in the increased vote for Mr Wilders and the wider fragmentation of Dutch politics, he said. In reality his party gained five seats and, as he pointed out, it is now the second biggest in parliament not the third. But his decline in the polls was clear and it is being seen partly as self-inflicted. He refused to take part in two TV debates because of scathing comments about him made by his brother, Paul, on the same TV channel. But it was as much Mark Rutte's success as Geert Wilders' failure. The prime minister's response to Nazi slurs against the Dutch made by the Turkish president was praised across the political spectrum. As parliamentary seats are allocated in exact proportion to a party's vote share, the VVD will need to go into coalition with three other parties. If recent Dutch history teaches you anything about coalition-building, it is that it will not happen overnight. In 2012 it took 54 days, and that was relatively fast as it involved just two parties. Mr Rutte has spoken of a \"zero chance\" of working with Mr Wilders' PVV, and will look instead to the Christian Democrats and D66, which are both pro-EU. It would still be several seats short of forming a government and would need further support from a fourth party. The VVD has much in common with the liberal D66 in backing progressive policies on soft drugs and assisted dying. But that would be resisted by both parties with a Christian background. The path to a coalition will not be easy. - VVD - People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Leader: PM Mark Rutte) - PVV - Freedom Party (Leader: Geert Wilders) - CDA - Christian Democratic Appeal (Leader: Sybrand Buma) - D66 - Democrats 66 (Leader: Alexander Pechtold) - Green-Left - (Leader: Jesse Klaver) - SP - Socialist Party (Leader: Emile Roemer) - PvdA - Labour Party (Leader: Lodewijk Asscher)", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2603, "answer_start": 2211, "text": "France goes to the polls next month to elect a new president, with the far right National Front forecast to increase its vote dramatically. In Germany, the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) may win seats in parliament for the first time in September's general election. Mr Rutte had already spoken of the election as a quarter-final against populism ahead of the French and German polls." } ], "id": "96_0", "question": "What does this mean for the EU?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3224, "answer_start": 2604, "text": "Weeks before the election, opinion polls forecast the PVV winning the biggest number of seats but Mr Wilders' lead vanished as the vote drew near. He had pledged to take the Netherlands out of the EU, close all mosques and ban the Koran. He warned that Mr Rutte had \"not seen the last\" of him. \"It's not the 30 seats I hoped for but we have gained seats,\" he added. \"This patriotic spring will happen.\" Defeated Labour leader Lodewijk Asscher agreed that \"populism is not over\". The anger and insecurity of voters was reflected in the increased vote for Mr Wilders and the wider fragmentation of Dutch politics, he said." } ], "id": "96_1", "question": "Where does Wilders stand now?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3765, "answer_start": 3225, "text": "In reality his party gained five seats and, as he pointed out, it is now the second biggest in parliament not the third. But his decline in the polls was clear and it is being seen partly as self-inflicted. He refused to take part in two TV debates because of scathing comments about him made by his brother, Paul, on the same TV channel. But it was as much Mark Rutte's success as Geert Wilders' failure. The prime minister's response to Nazi slurs against the Dutch made by the Turkish president was praised across the political spectrum." } ], "id": "96_2", "question": "Did Wilders fail?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4606, "answer_start": 3766, "text": "As parliamentary seats are allocated in exact proportion to a party's vote share, the VVD will need to go into coalition with three other parties. If recent Dutch history teaches you anything about coalition-building, it is that it will not happen overnight. In 2012 it took 54 days, and that was relatively fast as it involved just two parties. Mr Rutte has spoken of a \"zero chance\" of working with Mr Wilders' PVV, and will look instead to the Christian Democrats and D66, which are both pro-EU. It would still be several seats short of forming a government and would need further support from a fourth party. The VVD has much in common with the liberal D66 in backing progressive policies on soft drugs and assisted dying. But that would be resisted by both parties with a Christian background. The path to a coalition will not be easy." } ], "id": "96_3", "question": "How long before a new government is formed?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A violent storm on the Sun could cripple communications on Earth and cause huge economic damage, scientists have warned. Why are solar storms such a threat? In 1972, dozens of sea mines off the coast of Vietnam mysteriously exploded. It was recently confirmed the cause was solar storms, which can significantly disrupt the Earth's magnetic field. Today, the effects of a similar event could be much more serious - disrupting the technology we rely on for everything from satellites to power grids. The cost to the UK economy alone of an unexpected event has been estimated at PS16bn. There are good reasons why we are vulnerable to events taking place millions of miles from Earth. The Sun is a star, a seething mass of electrified hydrogen. As this fluid moves around, it builds up energy within its complex magnetic field. This magnetic energy is released through intense flashes of light known as solar flares and through vast eruptions of material and magnetic fields known as coronal mass ejections or solar storms. While flares can disrupt radio communication on Earth, solar storms pose the greatest threat. Each storm contains the energy equivalent to 100,000 times the world's entire nuclear arsenal, although this is spread throughout an enormous volume in space. The Sun rotates like a vast spinning firework, launching eruptions into space in all directions. If one of these heads towards our planet, with a magnetic field aligned opposite to the Earth's, the two fields can merge together. As the solar storm washes past, some of the Earth's magnetic field is distorted into a long tail. And when this distorted magnetic field eventually snaps back, it accelerates electrified particles towards the Earth. Here, they strike the upper atmosphere, heating it and causing it to glow in a spectacular display known as the northern and southern lights. But this distortion of the Earth's magnetic field has other, more significant effects. It is thought to have triggered the sea mines back in 1972. The mines were designed to detect small variations in the magnetic field caused by the approach of metal-hulled boats. But their engineers hadn't anticipated that solar activity could have the same effect. Scientists are looking for clues as to what triggers these vast eruptions and, once they have been launched, how to track them through interplanetary space. Our records of the Earth's magnetic field go back as far as the mid-19th Century. They suggest an extreme space weather event is likely to occur once every 100 years, although smaller events will happen more frequently. In 1859, the Carrington Event - most extreme solar storm recorded to date - caused telegraph systems to spark and for the northern lights to be spotted as far south as the Bahamas. The next time it happens, the effects are likely to be far more serious. With every solar cycle, our global community has become more reliant on technology. In 2018, space satellites are central to global communication and navigation, while aeroplanes connect continents and extensive power grids crisscross the world. All of these could be badly affected by the aftermath of extreme solar events. Electronic systems on spacecraft and aeroplanes could be harmed as their miniaturised electronics are zapped by energetic particles accelerated into our atmosphere, while power networks on the ground can be overwhelmed by excess electrical currents. More like this Enough satellites and power grids have failed during past space weather events to make it clear that the Sun must be closely monitored, to help predict when a solar storm will affect Earth. Forecasters are working on this all over the world, from the UK's Met Office to the Australian Met Bureau and the Noaa Space Weather Prediction Center in the US. All being well, they can detect when a storm is heading towards Earth and predict its arrival time within six hours. That still leaves relatively little time to prepare but forecasting would cut the cost to the UK economy from PS16bn to PS3bn. Space weather now appears on the UK government's risk register, alongside other, more familiar risks such as a flu pandemic and severe flooding. It has been rated at the equivalent risk as a severe heatwave or the emergence of a new infectious disease. Government agencies are now speaking to power companies, spacecraft and airline operators to ensure they have plans in place to limit the impact of an extreme space weather event. It is vital, for example, to make sure enough power is available to refrigerate supplies of food and medicine as well as to make sure water and fuel can be pumped as needed. If communication with some satellites is lost, familiar technologies such as sat-navs and satellite television could stop working. Spacecraft engineers study extreme events so they can build resilience into spacecraft, protecting vulnerable electronics and installing backup systems. An accurate space weather forecast would enable operators to further protect their assets by ensuring they were in a safe state as the storm passed. Many planes fly over the north pole en route from Europe to North America. During space weather events, aircraft operators re-route aeroplanes away from the polar skies, where most of the energetic particles enter Earth's atmosphere. This is to limit exposure to enhanced radiation doses and ensure reliable radio communication. We have learned much about space weather since the events of 1972 but as modern technologies evolve, we need to make sure they can withstand the worst the Sun can throw at us. About this piece This analysis piece was commissioned by the BBC from an expert working for an outside organisation. Chris Scott is a professor of space and atmospheric physics, at the University of Reading. Follow him on Twitter at @ProfChrisScott. Edited by Eleanor Lawrie", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2215, "answer_start": 683, "text": "The Sun is a star, a seething mass of electrified hydrogen. As this fluid moves around, it builds up energy within its complex magnetic field. This magnetic energy is released through intense flashes of light known as solar flares and through vast eruptions of material and magnetic fields known as coronal mass ejections or solar storms. While flares can disrupt radio communication on Earth, solar storms pose the greatest threat. Each storm contains the energy equivalent to 100,000 times the world's entire nuclear arsenal, although this is spread throughout an enormous volume in space. The Sun rotates like a vast spinning firework, launching eruptions into space in all directions. If one of these heads towards our planet, with a magnetic field aligned opposite to the Earth's, the two fields can merge together. As the solar storm washes past, some of the Earth's magnetic field is distorted into a long tail. And when this distorted magnetic field eventually snaps back, it accelerates electrified particles towards the Earth. Here, they strike the upper atmosphere, heating it and causing it to glow in a spectacular display known as the northern and southern lights. But this distortion of the Earth's magnetic field has other, more significant effects. It is thought to have triggered the sea mines back in 1972. The mines were designed to detect small variations in the magnetic field caused by the approach of metal-hulled boats. But their engineers hadn't anticipated that solar activity could have the same effect." } ], "id": "97_0", "question": "What causes an extreme solar event?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg has defended the aims of his Internet.org initiative after several Indian firms decided to pull out of the project. In a blog post, Mr Zuckerberg argued that Internet.org's basic free services were not incompatible with net neutrality - the principle that all web services should be equally accessible. \"We fully support net neutrality,\" he wrote. \"Universal connectivity and net neutrality can and must co-exist.\" But critics were quick to respond. Writing in the Hindustan Times, India's Save The Internet coalition maintained that Internet.org is \"Zuckerberg's ambitious project to confuse hundreds of millions of emerging market users into thinking that Facebook and the internet are one and the same.\" At the heart of the row is Internet.org's policy of \"zero-rating\", whereby telecoms providers agree not to pass on the costs of handling the data traffic so that consumers can receive services for free. Critics argue this has a distorting effect on competition, making it difficult for publishers not signed up to Internet.org to reach the hundreds of millions of poorer people in developing economies who have no internet access at all. But Facebook disagrees, pointing out that joining Internet.org is free for web publishers and app providers. \"We're open for all mobile operators and we're not stopping anyone from joining,\" says Mr Zuckerberg. \"We want as many internet providers to join so as many people as possible can be connected.\" However, India's leading mobile operator Bharti Airtel has also been applying zero-rating to its Airtel Zero service. This means that consumers can access certain apps for free because the app provider picks up the data bill. Smaller developers without the resources to do the same are at a commercial disadvantage. Facebook chooses the services offered by Internet.org after consultation with \"local governments and the mobile operators\" in each country, says Mr Zuckerberg. It is this hand-picking process that appears discriminatory to many within the industry. But Mr Zuckerberg believes that \"if someone can't afford to pay for connectivity, it is always better to have some access than none at all.\" In India, Internet.org has rolled out its free basic services on the Reliance network in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala and Telangana. And it has also launched in Indonesia on the Indosat network. This week a number of firms, including travel portal Cleartrip.com and media giant Times Group, withdrew from Internet.org, claiming that the service conflicts with the principle of net neutrality. The issue has certainly galvanised the Indian public - more than 800,000 people have sent emails to India's telecom regulator, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, demanding a free and fair internet. Indian telecoms companies have been putting pressure on the government to change the way so-called \"over-the-top\" mobile apps, such as Skype, WhatsApp, and Instagram, are licensed. Such apps piggyback on the operators' networks and have benefited greatly from the proliferation of smartphones and the explosion in mobile content. Operators want a bigger slice of the pie.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1794, "answer_start": 737, "text": "At the heart of the row is Internet.org's policy of \"zero-rating\", whereby telecoms providers agree not to pass on the costs of handling the data traffic so that consumers can receive services for free. Critics argue this has a distorting effect on competition, making it difficult for publishers not signed up to Internet.org to reach the hundreds of millions of poorer people in developing economies who have no internet access at all. But Facebook disagrees, pointing out that joining Internet.org is free for web publishers and app providers. \"We're open for all mobile operators and we're not stopping anyone from joining,\" says Mr Zuckerberg. \"We want as many internet providers to join so as many people as possible can be connected.\" However, India's leading mobile operator Bharti Airtel has also been applying zero-rating to its Airtel Zero service. This means that consumers can access certain apps for free because the app provider picks up the data bill. Smaller developers without the resources to do the same are at a commercial disadvantage." } ], "id": "98_0", "question": "Distorting competition?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2407, "answer_start": 1795, "text": "Facebook chooses the services offered by Internet.org after consultation with \"local governments and the mobile operators\" in each country, says Mr Zuckerberg. It is this hand-picking process that appears discriminatory to many within the industry. But Mr Zuckerberg believes that \"if someone can't afford to pay for connectivity, it is always better to have some access than none at all.\" In India, Internet.org has rolled out its free basic services on the Reliance network in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala and Telangana. And it has also launched in Indonesia on the Indosat network." } ], "id": "98_1", "question": "Better than nothing?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Britain's bus network has shrunk to levels last seen in the late 1980s, BBC analysis has revealed. Rising car use and cuts to public funding are being blamed for a loss of 134 million miles of coverage over the past decade alone. Some cut-off communities have taken to starting their own services, with Wales and north-west England hardest hit. The government has encouraged councils and bus companies to work together to halt the decline. One lobbying group fears the scale of the miles lost are a sign buses are on course to be cut to the same extent railways were in the 1960s. During that decade thousands of miles of track were scrapped and hundreds of stations closed following a report by British Railways Board chairman Dr Richard Beeching. Chris Todd, of the Campaign for Better Transport, said: \"We are not talking a loss of that level, but we are heading that way. \"We live in a society that is quite prepared to completely abandon certain groups of people and leave them with no options of getting around.\" Communities around the UK say the shrinking bus network is leaving people unable to reach basic services such as shops and GP surgeries. In Chard in Somerset, mother Melissa Whittaker told the BBC how a 10-mile journey to take her autistic son Issac to their nearest community hospital can take three hours, the same time it would take to walk. Villagers in Ditton Priors, Shropshire, who have not had a regular bus service since 2012, say some elderly residents have been forced to move away. And some cut-off communities have even gone as far as setting up their own replacement bus services. Cumbria's Western Dales Bus company runs its routes with the help of 20 volunteer drivers. One of its directors, John Carey, said the National Lottery-funded company was a lifeline for hundreds in the county. He said: \"Without this people would have been cut off, absolutely. \"They wouldn't have been able to go to the shops. It has preserved the mobility of elderly residents in the area.\" Although car use is at an all-time high, buses remain Britain's most popular form of public transport. But analysis of official statistics by the BBC Shared Data Unit found the UK's bus network has shrunk by 8% in the last decade. That equates to 134 million fewer miles - the equivalent of more than 5,000 trips around the equator. Passenger numbers have increased marginally (0.7%) over the same period. There are a number of reasons why Britain's bus network is shrinking in size, according to John Disney, a transport researcher and lecturer at Nottingham Business School. He said: \"Commercial operators have definitely, over the last 10 years, become much more risk-averse and so they are really concentrating on what they consider to be their core routes and are not really bothered about much else.\" He said at the same time many local authorities, which would have stepped up to subsidise unprofitable routes, have reduced this spending. But the trade body for operators, the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), denied the claim that companies were becoming risk-averse. A spokeswoman said: \"Where routes become unviable, sound business decisions need to be taken and there are many examples of operators continuing to operate lightly used and uneconomic services, or developing innovative ways of meeting passengers' needs.\" In England, the scale of the bus network has fallen to levels last seen in 1991, even though passenger numbers are now 8% higher than they were then. The figures show big regional variations, with the North West the worst-hit, losing nearly a quarter (23%) of miles from its network in a decade. London, the East of England and the South East, on the other hand, were the only English regions to see bus mileage increase over the past decade. The capital now accounts for a quarter of all bus miles travelled in England, the highest proportion since this measurement began in 1982. This has prompted campaigners to describe England's public transport system as \"two-tier\". Outside the capital, England's metropolitan areas were hardest hit, which experts believe is linked to increasing congestion. The bus coverage in metropolitan areas has dropped by a tenth since 2013-14 alone, figures show, while rural areas saw bus routes cut by 7.8%. Wales has seen the biggest drop in bus coverage over the past decade. Annual bus mileage fell by a fifth between 2006-07 and 2016-17, a loss of 15 million miles. Experts suggest the slump in Wales could be down to a succession of bus companies going into administration in recent years. A spokesman for the Welsh government said the figures do not reflect growth on some local services and the longer distance TrawsCymru network of buses. Scotland's network shrank by 15% over the past decade. The Scottish region hit hardest was South West and Strathclyde, which saw bus mileage fall by more than a fifth in 10 years. Only one Scottish region saw bus mileage increase: North East, Tayside and Central, which covers Dundee and Aberdeen. Northern Ireland's bus network is publicly-run. It covers 6.4% fewer miles a year than it did ten years ago, a loss of 2.6 million miles. Most of Britain's bus network is provided by commercial companies, although local government can subsidise routes which are deemed unprofitable but socially important. Many campaigners say the shrinking pot of funding available for these subsidies is a major contributor to the decline of Britain's buses. However, the BBC's analysis shows subsidy cuts are only part of the picture. Excluding London, all English regions have seen bus subsidies reduced in the past four years, losing a third (32%) of their subsidised miles on average. But at the same time, bus companies have also been reducing the number of commercially-run miles in the North, while increasing them in the South, the analysis shows. In Brighton and Hove, for instance, its bus network appears to be thriving, despite only 3% of miles now being paid for by the council. Some areas have seen public sector investment pay off. In Nottingham, which has the third highest bus use per head of population in England, passengers can travel with a range of different companies using a Robin Hood card. But the authority there also spends more on buses each year than the whole of Tyne and Wear, which has four times the population. The Local Government Association has said councils could do more to prop up transport routes if they had more Whitehall funding. Its transport spokesman Chris Tett said the shrinking of Britain's bus network was \"hugely concerning\". The government has given English 'metro mayors' new powers to set up Transport for London-style bus franchise systems. It means they could set the routes and timetables for their areas and invite companies to bid to run them. The Bus Services Act 2017 also aims to get local authorities and bus companies in other areas of England to work in partnership to improve services. A spokeswoman for the Department for Transport said: \"Buses connect people, homes and businesses, and that's why we have given councils extra powers to work in partnership with bus companies to improve the service passengers expect and deserve.\" The Shared Data Unit makes data journalism available to news organisations across the media industry, as part of a partnership between the BBC and the News Media Association. This piece of content was produced by local newspaper journalists working alongside BBC staff. For more information on methodology, click here. For the full dataset, click here. Read more about the Local News Partnerships here.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3346, "answer_start": 2411, "text": "There are a number of reasons why Britain's bus network is shrinking in size, according to John Disney, a transport researcher and lecturer at Nottingham Business School. He said: \"Commercial operators have definitely, over the last 10 years, become much more risk-averse and so they are really concentrating on what they consider to be their core routes and are not really bothered about much else.\" He said at the same time many local authorities, which would have stepped up to subsidise unprofitable routes, have reduced this spending. But the trade body for operators, the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), denied the claim that companies were becoming risk-averse. A spokeswoman said: \"Where routes become unviable, sound business decisions need to be taken and there are many examples of operators continuing to operate lightly used and uneconomic services, or developing innovative ways of meeting passengers' needs.\"" } ], "id": "99_0", "question": "Why is the bus network shrinking?" } ] } ]